Review: Scratch One

Publisher: Hard Case Crime

This is a good old fashioned case of mistaken identity in the cheesy world of Michael Crichton's Bond type books! I do love these and I warn you that this review will be short as the book is and I want to give as little as possible away!

I thought the torture scene was INCREDIBLE!!! ARRRRRGH I could imagine the pain! It made me feel as uncomfortable as that scene where James Bond was having his balls smacked by that rope...Casino Royale was it?? ARRGHH! OUCH!!!

I love the cheesy, wink wink, smarmy humour that runs through all these books and I am glad to see that it is continuing, and I hope it will for the entire collection (for I have them all BOOOM). 

One bit I found tedious was the start of the Grand Prix section. Good God did it go on and on and on! It was like the whaling part at the start of Moby Dick or the sheer volume of Russian Farming tips in Anna Karenina (I really hate that book). I was delighted when that part was over.

So, on the whole, and despite the cars going round and round part, I thoroughly enjoyed this book with its neat ending and humour. Oh and I also really like the transcendence that was still present. Admittedly some things are very of the time but you can still picture the adventure in the modern day.

Happy Reading!

BG

:-)

Review: The Casual Vacancy

Publisher: Little Brown

When on holiday back in September...YES MY REVIEW BACK LOG IS THIS HUGE....Boy Geek ran out of things to read so he borrowed my kindle and downloaded this. He thought it was funny but wasn't enamoured with it. Also, when Boy Geek discussed it with one of his colleagues (I girl crush on her a lot) she said that JKR was trying to do too much with it, and I think I totally agree! So, when it came to it, I read the book so I could join in the conversation with Boy Geek and continue to maintain my opinion that JKR isn't really all that hot.

On to the book...

There has been a death and there is now a seat on the council. So, we're going to delve in to the lives of the people of this little Parish. Look at them, their politics, their secrets and their emotions.

The characters were caricatures. That is my main point about the characters and that drove me mental. The points and stereotypical traits that I think JKR was trying to point out were too bloody in your face and obvious allllll the time. Subtly would have made this far more enjoyable! I thought Kay was a total idiot, Krystal's life made me desperately sad. However, there was one character I did love reading about. SAM!! She was bloody awesome...she was also almost the most realistic of them all!

The whole thing wasn't very mind blowing, it wasn't very original even...some what like Harry Potter (see my challenge from earlier this year...GOD THAT WAS TEDIOUS and reminds me that I really do need to get on with my Holmes Challenge) It was just very normal village politics with a bit of a try hard side. I didn't really want to read it in the end. I could happily let my kindle sit there and not read the book at all.

I'm sorry, I know MILLIONS of you are hardcore JKR fans and love all she writes. I just don't fall in to that category. Harry Potter didn't really do anything for me and this book left me really non-plussed.

I do apologise.

BG

:-s

Review: Callum

Right then, so this is a bit of a what if short story following on from Noughts and Crosses. We are looking at an alternate ending after the pivotal kidnap and what could have been different. 

You can defo tell that this short piece was written after the book as it has a completely different feel to it and the writing style is also rather different. AND to top it all off, I felt that the characters were different too, despite the fact that this was meant to be an alt ending, not at a different time or anything. 

The story draws together more conclusively the questions of love, family, race and freedom that I had when reading the book and that the book doesn't really tie up satisfactorily for me anyway.

The ending, despite being alternative, is still DEVASTATING!!! Some things will never change I guess. If you read Noughts and Crosses, defo give this a read as it makes more of the whole series and helps you think about things.

Happy Reading

BG

:-(

Review: Fuck Life

So, I am in work whilst I write this so I can't really search for a pic of the cover, etc, but I will attempt to remember to do so when I am not in work!

Anyway...this book is from a German author (Amidu Omar Njiemoun)/publisher (Tausendschlau Books) and I was sent it after an email from the author asking me to review it. I was most excited as very rarely get publishers outside of the UK! THANKS!!!

On with the show...

Adam and Sara are in a relationship but it is seriously, seriously fucked up and we are about to see what's what.

I have one thing I really have to get off my chest, a big complaint. The translation of this book is not very good at all! Three things really REALLY bugged me...the incorrect usage of two, too and to throughout the entire book. The phrase 'arrest my case' and 'nursery home'. Just, NO! Please, please people who translate books or have their books translated. GET PROPER PROOF READERS AND TRANSLATORS! I see more books like this than I care to remember and they really do stick in my mind as I am an Editor by profession! Anyway...moving on...


After reading the about the author bit, the whole way through this book I couldn't help wondering how much is autobiographical. I would really love to know now. TBH, my wondering enhanced my enjoyment of the book!

Some of the plot twists do click pretty quickly, but that doesn't detract from the enjoyment, so do not worry about being able to see what's coming. I kinda think that is part of the book's charm. However, the plot really is brutal and twisted and shocking and I'm not 100% sure how I feel in general about the book and the writing style as it's very aggressive all round.

This isn't a book for the weak of heart and nerve. It is dark, it is brutal, it is REAL and that does put it in a bit of a league of its own.

Happy Reading

BG
:-/

Review: Dragon Haven

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Price: £ 8.99

We are now in book two of the Rainwilds Chronicles which picks up pretty much exactly where book 1 left us and all is very very tense!! WAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

I once more thoroughly enjoyed this book, but this time I didn't feel like it took a while to get going. I'm not sure why people think this is a weak series, so far I think it's spiffing!

I am looking back over my notes, as I read this a while ago, and I have one comment that says 'noooooooo Leftrin, Not this badness, Noooooooooo!' I think, you will all think this when you read the portion I am referring to! NOOOOOOOO LEFTRIN!!!!!!!

The pace, adventure and action was non-stop from the start, as mentioned above, and for this I am most thankful to Ms Hobb! There really is a lot of pace and for that I am thankful. I also like to fact that you get to know the dragons even better as they are intriguing creatures with varied minds, experiences and temperaments, not something I was expecting at all to be honest. 

When it comes to the humans, I really started to feel sorry for Sedric, and I don't quite know how I feel about that as, if I'm honest, I HATED HIM IN BOOK 1. I think he needs love, a friend and a bit of support. Poor dab!

Oh oh, and one final comment, I LOVE the relationship between the two bird keepers that you see developing via missives. I know this is possibly a terrible thing to say, but I think it's my favourite part of the whole series!

The next instalment is in a box in the spare room as we are STILL not totally unpacked as the decorator doesn't finish until tomorrow. However, as soon as I can get my hands on book 3 I will be reading it immediately!!!

Happy Reading

BG

<;-)

P.S. I'm pissing off to Lisbon for work for a few days tomorrow so won't be around till Friday after today! Try not to miss me!

Film versus Book: Divergent

                                                           

 


So then, I've read the BOOK and now I've seen the film...well I saw it back in September on a flight to Singapore..but anyway...here are a few things I have to say!

Some bits of the film were changed and in my opinion changed tooooo much. I know films don't have time for subtlety always but I think we missed out on a lot due to the changes in this film. For example, Tris and her mum meeting up half way through...WHAT THE HELL??

When it comes to how things look in the film, Chicago looked exactly as I pictured, but as I mentioned in by review of the book after I'd see posters for the film, the Dauntless don't look gothy enough. The only ones I was happy with was Eric and Tori as they looked a bit edgy. The others just all look like spandex clad buff people. That is not at all what I expected from the dauntless.

When it came to the end, I found things a bit too different for my liking there also and I'm now wondering what is going to happen.

On the plus side, the bit with the zip wire was very good and it did make me very sad. However, I'm not sure if that is just the case because I know the end of the series.

Overall, when compared to the book, I defo enjoyed the book more! I didn't see this film in the cinema as I hadn't read the books then and it didn't appeal to me and TBH I don't think I'll make the effort to see the next one.

Oh and also, Tris was not at all small and petit enough and Christine was too small!! WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE INCORRECT SIZE OF PEOPLE CASTED?

Let me know your thoughts

BG
:-s

P.S. Check the Honest Trailer for Divergent out...just cos you should! It's hyperlinked over there <<<<<
P.P.S I think I enjoyed the honest trailer more than the film!

Review: An English Ghost Story

Publisher: Titan Books

Price: £ 7.99

A family has left London and moved in to their dream home in the West Country. However, the house has other plans.

The cover of this book felt physically good. I just had to get that out there!!! Also, I felt very brave reading this book as I do worry about reading scary things. HOwever, it did help that I now live with boy geek.

So, on with comments on the actual book.

It was a surprise to see the Wheezie stories come in to play, however, I found them to be most entertaining. The writing style they adopted was very different and it really felt as if someone other than KN had written them! Huzzah! Other portions of other books appear too and that was also a little treat due to the complete change in tone also!

I liked the bleak and dark past that the family had. I particularly liked the fact that it was only alluded to on occasions and then drip fed to you the rest of the time. It built up the terror even more. What made the book truly scary though, was not the ghosts but the fact that as the family descended in to chaos their actions are truly disturbing, unnerving and unsettling. The ghosts merely contribute to this, they are not, at all, what causes the chills down your spine.

I also want to let you alllllll know that I was indeed pretty satisfied with the ending...however I am not going to say anything else about it as I am refusing to throw any spoilers at you.

So, not your typical ghost story but one that I enjoyed far more than I had originally expected.

Happy reading!

BG

:-D