A book with non-human characters - Blood of Dragons

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Now then, this is the first book off the challenge. It's difficult to categorise books I have found as they sometimes fall in to multiple ones. This could have also been a book by a female author or a book over 500 pages, but I love the dragons and they are a MAJOR part of the book so a book with non-human characters it was.

This is the final book in The Rain Wild Chronicles! Booo!!!!!!

At the start I found it a bit winey with all the ohhhh my dragon, and ohhhh I want sex and ooooooohh I'm not an eldering! MAN UP ALL OF YOU THIS INSTANT!!!! However, I wanted to read more quickly as all aspects of the plot were finally being tied up in a neat little bow for me!

I really worried for some of the characters such as Rapskal and Alise. It really had me on pins the entire time! WAHH!! I think this shows you how well RH bonds with her characters and feels like they are people! Selden was my biggest worry though!!!

As the book moved on the pace became faster and faster as groups of and singular characters were flicked between within chapters and not just by chapter it was great!

Overall I was delighted with the ending but I was super sad when it was all over! Compared to the rest of RH's series which I have read, this one took a while to get in to and was a tad longer, but it was great in the end. RH fans, if you haven't read it, read it NOW!!

Happy reading

BG

:-)

2015 Reading Challenge

Just to update you all, this is the reading challenge I am going to combat this year!!!

I am also still working my way through Sherlock Holmes...be it slowly!

I am determined to finish both this year!

Review: The Death House: 2014 Backlog

Publisher: Gollancz

The Death House is where defectives go and lives don't really matter.

I was pretty excited to get this book as I've read a fair bit of SP's stuff and thoroughly enjoyed it. This book however, I'm a bit on the fence about. Let me explain...

The novel feels a bit YA and that is totally fine by me as I do get on well with a good YA novel. Also, it has a very big lord of the flies feel and the references to it are pretty self conscious, I didn't mind that either.

I totally loved the Will portion of the book and it was beautifully done. I also loved the idea and concept of this book. It was really rather good.

What is holding me back from completely loving this book is that I couldn't get over the feeling that there was more to be said, more that could have been included that would have enhanced enjoyment. Also, I felt a bit let down by the ending I'm sad to say. If the book had had more context I think it would have been amazing all round! 

I know that some people have loved this book and I'm sure that more people will, I'm just sad that for me, it missed a certain something.

Happy Reading

BG

:-(

Review: Everything I Never Told You - 2014 backlog

Publishers: Blackfriars

Lydia has died and the family isn't taking it very well. We live their life and hers in painful detail.

When I knew I was getting this book I felt pretty excited and was really looking forward to reading it. I'm not 100% sure why but it just seemed to call to me to be read....that very rarely happens..it's odd!

The whole book is full of very resentful, upset and bitter people and they are like this for more than just Lydia's death. It's a real emotional slog so be warned. It's all about relationships and loss and differences which again, are all very different for all of the characters!

I think the book would be very difficult for a parent to read and I think as I am not a parent or a minority, It didn't hit me as hard as it could have and that is a really worrying thought as it's a pretty harrowing read. 

There is great skill in this book and it's written very well. The characters are also constructed well. It really draws you in and you get to know the people very well, despite it being such a short read.

Not one to read when feeling blue, but defo one to read to appreciate such literary skill.

Happy Reading

BG

:-)

P.S. I'm off on holiday tomorrow so probs won't blog till round 26th Jan...just to keep you updated!

Review: Hello Mr Bones and Goodbye Mr Rat - 2014 backlog

Publisher: Quercus

So we have two novella style stories in one book and they are bloody weird! 

When it comes to Bones, It is the madness of VS that we are seeing and I can't help but wonder if it is all in his mind or if it is all the fault of the narrator and his mad medelling in his life. I had no idea what to do with this story to be honest and it completely freaked me out!!!

I preferred Rat because it looked more normal things and the narrator was more understandable as he is the deceased. The whole story looks at friendship and prison and relationships and I could get to grips with it more. However, it did horrify me more overall as I think I got it a bit more.

Overall, a very weird book, very odd and well, I'd like to know what you all think!

HAppy Reading

BG

:-S

Review: God's War 2014 back log

Publisher: Del Rey

I'm not sure how I managed it but this is the first Nyx/bel dame book I should have read, not Infidel! But never mind, I will live and in a way I did indeed enjoy reading this book as a kind of prequel. It answered many many questions that were bobbing around my head when I read Infidel and I was not aware of God's War then.....I am an idiot.

Anyway...

Yep, it's just as kick ass as you would expect a book with Nyx to be in and her motley crew. I had my continuous wonderings about what time we are in and where as the tech is pretty good but lives and warring and politics is so primitive. I don't know if we are in an imagined place altogether or some horrible dystopia! 

It was great to find out more about Rhys as he was a bit of an enigma before, but I did not enjoy finding out how wet the bloody man is! BOOOOOO!!! He is still rather nice to look at in my mind though!

Nyx's feelings were made more in of this book which I liked and I feel like I got to know here and see that she has real depth and is really rather sweet despite the hard exterior. She also doesn't look anything like the woman on the front of the book (in my head any way).

Well, another action packed and enjoyable read in a crazy fantasy world. While lots of questions were answered I still have more and I still want to be a bel dame!

Happy Reading

BG

:-)

Review: Crossing the Line - 2014 Backlog

I'm going to be brutally honest, I can't really remember much about the plot of this book as I was pretty doped up on pain killers as I was ill with sinus pain when I read it! So, all you are getting is the bullet point notes I made!

I'm really sorry!

- A man does well with a woman's POV.

- Exciting that for once a thriller/crime novel is not based on a murder.

- Jess is so real and normal and down to earth. In fact, all the characters and interactions are.

- I know I haven't read the past books, but I don't feel lacking.

- The end too k a turn that was too twisty for the it to be as convincing as the rest of the book, it seemed out of sync.

- Liked the fact that it was almost three plots in one.

I am shite, I am sorry...but I seem to have enjoyed it!

BG

:-)

OOOO! I've just read the blurb again and now I remember! YES!!! It was good! It was indeed real and different! GO ME!

Review: The Amber Fury - 2014 Backlog

Publisher: Corvus

Sorry I'm still on my backlog from last year! I'm rubbs I know, but I must go on, particularly as this book entered into my top 10 of 2014!

At the point I read this it had been a while since I had delved outside the world of fantasy of thriller and it felt really good! Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fantasy and thriller novels, but I hadn't realised until I picked this up that I needed a change. It was so gripping and I was entranced by the whole thing after just 50 pages.

Basically, Alex has moved up to Edinburgh after horrible times in London, she is teaching in a unit for kids with issues, and well...we follow how it all unfolds.

I loved the style of writing and I loved how the student diary inter spliced the general narrative of the whole thing. The portions written in retrospect of Alex's time in Scotland were so so so so leading and that was incredible! Wahhh I just couldn't get over it and I just couldn't see what was coming. It was spectacularly constructed!

The characters were brilliant. I loved Richard, what a Babe and when it came to the crunch I felt so much pity and sadness for Mel. The links to the Greek tragedies were really enjoyable and it's really clear that NH knows her stuff when it comes to this realm. Part of me does indeed wonder if the drama side of Alex is actually part of NH too! (I know I really should learn more about authors..I know, I know).

A really really good book with a great writing style and fabulous characters. I think this book will appeal to most people and I urge you all to read it!

Happy Reading

BG 

:-D

Review: City of Dragons - 2014 Backlog

Publisher: Harper Voyager

The penultimate part of the Rain Wilds Chronicles and the action is no where near from stopping. DO NOT READ ON IF YOU WANT TO AVOID ANY SPOILERS!!!!

This book seemed a lot slower than the others but I enjoyed seeing how the characters and their relationships were developing. Also, there is the return of Selden. HUZZAH!!! OOOo and it's great to have Malta etc back. I do like it when RH brings back the characters you fell in love with and enjoyed reading about years and years ago!

Kelsingra is the most intriguing place and I really would love, love, love to go there. However, I can understand all the crazy memory shizz and I can understand Alise's fears regarding them and keeping the place in tact. 

I spent a large portion of this book anticipating Hest's demise and it's fun to see things start to crumble for him!

I'm going to finish my review there as I am now nearly at the end of the final part of the series and I don't want to end up confusing the two. All I will say is, at the end of this one you will want to jump straight in to the next. IT IS SO GOOD!

Happy Reading

BG

:-)

Top 10 of 2014

Happy New Year one and all!

As promised, here is my top 10 for 2014 and the usual worst book!
Sorry about the fact that one book hasn't been reviewed in full on the blog yet...it's the back log you see! I will however review it soon.

These are in no particular order!

1. Season to Taste
Gloriously different, weird and disturbing all at the same time. A real unique read that is so dark you won't know what to do with yourself. But it's worth it!

2. The Machine
Fans of JS must read this book! Fantastic plot and excellent writing style as always. Something a bit different once again!

3. Dead Stars Parts 1+2
If you haven't read the Emaneska series yet, you need to read it now! These are the concluding parts and they are fantastic! Super books from such a young chap!

4. Who are you? 
Book number 2 from Ms Forbes and the fantastic people at Cutting Edge. Another book that will really wrench at the heart and shows just how insightful this author is.

5. The Judas scar
Another Cutting Edge book as they keep churning out the gems! A real page turner with excellent characters and another wonderfully dark and disturbing plot.

6. Fool's assassin
The LONG AWAITED return of Fitz and the Fool! All you could hope for and more from the legend that is Robin Hobb! BRING ON THE NEXT ONE!

7. Shadow magic series 
Spiffing epic comedy fantasy series from The Friday Project. Brilliant series of fun, adventure and totally amazing babes!

8. How to build a girl
A quirky coming of age book from the always brilliant Caitlin Moran! Funny, sad, honest, one for all to read!

9. The Amber Fury
Now, I haven't written a full review of this yet, but I will when I catch up with my backlog. Let's just say...wow!

10. The Keeper
Another instalment of the psycho police man that is Sean! It's chilling, gripping and intense! READ IT!

Finally the worst book I read this year is........
THE BOOK OF LIFE...full review here!