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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!!

Wednesday 30 October 2013

Review: Storm Front

Publisher: Titan
Price: I left the dust jacket at home and can't find ££ on tut web

So, let's get this straight. This book is written by RC, the fictional author from the TV series CASTLE. This is meant to be one of the books he writes whilst following the police and things around, yes? So, WHO THE BLOODY HELL ACTUALLY WROTE THIS???

I like James Bond, its cheesy action and cringey bits and this does indeed have similarities on those fronts, however, on occasion it takes things from the sublime to the ridiculous! I'm just not sure how I feel about it!

Yes, this book is a page turner. There is action, there are intriguing financial plots, there are counter plots! It also has the really bad, baddy, the wonderful hero, the tragic hero and the lady things. However, they are sometimes tooooo parody like for me. There are also weird parallels with the series that crop up and tbh, I don't think they were needed.

I just don't know. I kept turning pages and reading because I was deep in the plot, it had drawn me in completely. However, I just think it's a bit too much of a low rent James Bond for me to embrace it completely. 

Fans of Castle will love it, I am glad I read it as it was fun. Just not sure if for me 100%.

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-)

Thursday 24 October 2013

Review: Mr Penumbra's 24 hour bookstore

Publisher: Atlantic Books
Price: £ 12.99

Very rarely do I read a book that, when I finish it and put it down, causes me to sigh. I don't really know what the sigh means but it always leaves me with that warm fuzzy feeling inside.

Mr P owns a bookshop, but it isn't just any old bookshop and Clay is on a mission to find out why.

The story starts off as well, a slightly quirky tale of a grad who is in a spot, but it develops and develops and changes and changes in to glorious mystical fantasy and joy. It doesn't go where you expect at all and, it is wonderful. A glorious celebration of life and books! The parallel between it and the Dragon Song Chronicles is also amazing. That fantasy world is being recreated in the present day, with real people, fitting the fantasy stereotypes on a real quest. A quest of the modern day and it's tremendous technology and the written word.

The characters are great and I'm not 100% sure I can pick one all out love! Mr P, I want him to be my granddad, Clay is a babe, Kat is a misunderstood weirdo, Neel is a bit of a god...it just goes on and on and on. 

I am writing this immediately after setting it down so I am all a whirl of joy and I'm still digesting. But I will say that that was a fabulous book. It wasn't at all what I expected and I don't think it will be what anyone else expects either. It really is a true gem of a book that I think, one day, I'd like to read again to see if I've missed any thing (and I never want to read anything twice).

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-D

Wednesday 23 October 2013

Review: Bones in her Pocket

Price: No idea in ££
Publisher: Random House/Cornerstone

A quick little shortie for you if you want something to read to fill in half hour or so. It's a mini thriller, like a singular episode of CSI or something like that. 

You can indeed tell it was written by a scientist/forensic person, no doubt at all in a million years as it is very clinical in places and the details are (I imagine) spot on. It is also very serious and that makes it feel a bit like a diary entry with an edge. The length of it makes you feel this too, it's not really a short story in tone, but a snippet of someone's life on a particular day.

The ending was totally cheese in every way however, which was a tad disappointing, however, when it comes to short stories, people do always try and put a moral in there. Oh well, I'll live.

A shortie review as a shortie story

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-D 

Monday 21 October 2013

Review: The Kill List

Price: Unknown
Publisher: Random House/Transworld

Well, probably not the best book to read whilst on a 9 hour flight home from the US but, there you go. A terrorist is causing havoc but have no fear, the Tracker is on it!

This is defo not my usual book, and defo not the best thing I've read. Yes, there was interest, but you really do have to concentrate a lot sometimes just to understand who is who, who is part of what and where and why and to make sure you get the back story. The book promised far more than you are given in the blurb and the cover and all the hype etc.

Yes, there were some good bits and I did find this interesting, however, I couldn't always give it the concentration it needed AND, I was always questioning how much was actually true and how much was fabricated and fiction, as let's face it, the US/UK/everywhere are not going to give up details of missions, terror suspects, agents etc willingly. How much of FF's book really is true and correct and believable...I'm not sure.

I really don't know how I feel about this book. Maybe I'm not the right person for it. There was an old man sitting a few seats away from me reading it on the plane, and one of The Boy's flat (ex now) mates bought it for his dad for Christmas, so maybe, yes, I am indeed not of the correct demographic to have enjoyed this. Shame, as I thought it held such promise.

Oh well

Happy reading
Book Geek
:-(

Friday 18 October 2013

Review: The Blackheath Seance Parlour

Publisher: Cutting Edge Press
Price: £ 9.99


Well bloody hell!!! Isn't this a whole big bucket of mental!! BRILLIANT MENTAL!!! CEP in their wonderful realm of the weird and mad and wonderful. BLOODY BRILLIANT.

There are two sisters who are in a bit of a fix, so they set up shop as mediums, but one feels left out and the other is writing a book and well...let's just leave it there with the plot for now.

It's like two books in one! Judy's book and AW's story of the sisters. Even though a guy is writing about women and their ways and struggles and loves and families, it is most convincing and you don't for a second doubt the author gender. Also, when AW is writing as a woman, writing a book that is rather out there and for women, his style and tone etc is marvellous once again. He adopts a completely new one! Bravo AW!!

I wanted to read Judy's book as much as I wanted to read the story of the sister's and the parlour. And I wanted to know about Mrs Walters, she is defo my favourite character, I loved her. The sisters were both a bit nobby in their own ways, it worked for them but they didn't have my love like Mrs W does!

It is great to see such a mental and unique and intriguing book. The fact that it delves in to historical opinions on the underworld and religion and women's place in society as well as being a bit crazy and out there is wonderful and pretty darn unique if you ask me.

Wonderfully and skilfully written book. I thoroughly recommend it to all!

Happy Reading

Book Geek

:-P

Tuesday 15 October 2013

The Harry Potter Challenge: The Order of the Phoenix

So, we appear to be back to the darkness of book 3!! HUZZZZAH! THANK GOD! Obviously the second author of the HP books got their hands on this one and wrote the majority of it and by god, I was pleased they did, especially as we were back to the childish shite in The Goblet of Fire.

Yes, the beginning of this book was rather slow moving and that did get on my wick somewhat, however it got so so so so much better. There were some hard core kickass moments, but I wasn't all that shocked in some parts as I knew the story already, however I am now distraught that the only character I gave a shit about will not be appearing any more!! ARSE!!!! ARSE!!! ARSE!!!

I am delighted that we are back to the dark and twisty with the books, but after the disappointment of book 4 after 3 I do not hold high hopes for the next one.

I will of course let you all know how I get on with it. After The Order, I am rather looking forward to reading it but I am scared I am going to be let down once again!

Onwards!

Book Geek


P.S. I watched half of the third film...I could not watch any more as my web allowance in the hotel I was in reached its daily limit. I watched exactly half and not a lot had really happened...obviously have loads to cram in to the second part!!!!

Monday 14 October 2013

Review: Jimmy Coates, Killer

Publisher: Harper Collins
Price: £ 5.99

Jimmy Coates ain't your average 11 year old, he doesn't know that yet, nor does he know how mental his life is going to get.

Yes this is a kid's book but it was a gripper indeed. Some jokes in there were defo for adults and there was great amusement to be had. There was also action, politics, swarthy gorgeous heroes (Viggo), fun, family, loyalty and love. Really, there is something for everyone of any age.

I can really see this book getting people in to reading at a young age, specially boys, who you don't see reading a much as usual. I read the whole book during the one flight and I was rather sad when it was over as I really wanted more!

Brill start to what I hope will be an cracking series. I do indeed think I will read more and, if this doesn't get kids reading then nothing will.

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-D

p.s. I read 3 books on my work trip last week so there are two more to come later this week

BOOM!

Friday 4 October 2013

Gone a working


Sorry happy book folks, but I'm going to be quiet for the next week or so as I'm off to the land of America for a work trip.

If you are going to be at the AFPM Q&A see if you can spot me/work out which delegate I am.

If not, have no fear I will be back and by then I am sure I will have read some stuff to review!

Mummy geek will be looking after Catsby so don't worry about his safety!

Talk to ya soon!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
:-)

P.S. I'm going to the Wood Green Lit Fest when I'm back on Sat 12th HUZZAH!!!!!

Thursday 3 October 2013

Review: The Troop

Price: Not known in fine English pounds
Publisher: Gallery Books

Oh. Holy. Jesus!!!!!! As chaos descends on an island which is housing a troop of scouts for a weekend, a horrible infection type thing arrives. Psychos take over, chose ensues and everything becomes horrifying and disturbing and shocking.

This is possibly one of the most terrifying and horrifying things I've read in a good long while because such crazy shizz could actually happen and impact the whole entire world ever!!! It's like zombies, killer viruses, blackouts!! ARRGH!! Society will crumble!!!

The witness statements/interviews/after the fact portions are terrifying in their own right. They would work as a book alone, however, when you add the narrative of how things are developing on the island, it gets even scarier. Especially when you consider how quickly all descended in to chaos and torment!!! ARRRG!!!! 

The characters were great, even those that appeared in the inter splicing interviews, those on the island were so diverse and their relationships with each other so dramatically different that it added a certain something I can't quite put my finger on.

I've read that this book is like Lord of the Flies but with more terror. I can totally agree. This is terrifying and unnerving and unsettling and on occasions made me feel physically sick! A short review as I don't want to give too much away about this grippingly horrifying read!!!

Happy Reading (if that is possible)
Don't have nightmares

Book Geek
:-s

P.S. I was surprised that this book didn't give me nightmares. Instead, I had a dream that I flat shared with Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer who were in a relationship and were outrageously camp. We were throwing a halloween party, and noone came in fancy dress, I was very sad. 

Review: Bad Companions

Price: £ 9.99
Publisher: The History Press

I don't usually read a lot of non-fiction, it's not really my bag, but sometimes it's nice for a change and sometimes, the topic is indeed interesting enough. This is a book about 6 women who carried out murders in the days gone by. It looks in to each case from crime to punishment to aftermath. 

Even though this is non-fiction, it wasn't dry. I find such books to be so usually, but KC obviously has a passion of murder and the things behind it. She has researched all aspects and also put her own thoughts on paper in a kind of Law & Order cold case fashion that is rather interesting. She discusses how, if today's detecting techniques were available, the outcomes would possibly have been very different. 

I defo enjoyed the extracts from letters and news papers of the time, they were enlightening and really did open up the cases and in some instances make the murderesses more real and human. I don't know if I find the murders shocking, but at the time I can imagine they were, especially the woman who killed her maid servants, they were rather brutal.

If you don't really read non-fiction, then maybe have a look at this as it is all murder and twisty and intrigue, not dry and prescriptive and boring as arse! If you are in to non-fiction then this indeed could be one for you!

Happy Reading

Book Geek
8-)