Top Ten Books

Inspired by Erica at The Sweet Life , I thought maybe a top 10 might be a cosy way to spend an hour or so over Easter (in between sneaking over to the lovely What a Peach! for a guest post and errands that never ever seem to finish).


Books can be amazing companions, always available in a tight and boring spot, they can create adventure when you are stuck in the day-to-say doldrums, they provide never-ending conversation with other bookworms and can change the way you think and view the world.

Our wee beastie loves curling up with a good book. In fact she likes to nibble new ones..

I've usually got a few different books on the go (and haven't quite managed to stifle the habit of using anything lying around as a bookmark - TV remote, socks, receipts. I've got beautiful bookmarks that sit in my pen jar, gorgeous but unloved, they seem to have a habit of shimmying our of sight when there's some real work to be done).

At the moment I'm reading:
- The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared
- The Crimson Petal And The White (R18, but the language and writing is sumptuous and some phrases and paragraphs you have to read it twice to really savour them properly)
- The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cakeis  newly started and looks promising

I try to vary what I'm reading, much like flavours of chocolate - your mood suits different treatments and temperings. Also, this way if I get sick of a book or can't find it because it's being used to turn the TV Channel over I can dive into another one. Ahh, a positive side to commuting!

After some lengthy consideration (aka. the most memorable, well paged or most recommended) my top ten, in no particular order, at the moment are:

- The Secret Garden (free on Kindle at time of writing) Beautiful tale of an incredible spoiltchild raised by servants, who discovers a secret garden and goes on a journey of learning to make friends and take joy in simple things. A timeless Children's tale.

- Twilight I know, I'm sorry, but I loved it. Bella is quite a bit spineless, but there is something spellbinding about the story that weaves a blatant suspension of disbelief.

- The Night CircusI simply couldn't put this down. It was fascinating, captivating, mysterious and funny. Two magicians are training apprentices, and have set the circus as a playing field for the apprentices, in a duel that, unknown to the duellists is one to the death. Reviewed here.

- The Longest CrawlWitty, informative and thirst-inducing, this is the authors journey both personal and researched, reflecting an integral part of British Life - the Pub. Reviewed here.

- I Am Ozzy"People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say." I don't think much else needs to be said, bar that hubby & I kept reading bits our to each other they were so insane yet matter of fact.

- The Flavour ThesaurusIt's a mixture of taste pairing information, science, experience and a few recipes accompanied by some lovely memories and restaurant recommendations. You could just read it cover to cover, forget the Foodie side! Reviewed here.

- EmmaClassic, she is quick-witted, beautiful, headstrong and rich and above all has a great name. My copy is well thumbed, and I can probably blame most of my worst traits on Jane Austen, except the rich thing. Must work on that.

- Almost anything by Terry Pratchett. I live for his footnotes. Mort, the book and stage show is reviewed here for your interest, featuring the Grim Reaper taking a working holiday discovering dancing, drinking, his new-found skills as a short-order chef and a love for kittens).

- Belgariad 1: Pawn of ProphecyMy favourite favourite series as a teen - when the horrendous hormones flew about and everyone started to slag each other off, I just retreated into this fantastic made-up world.

- The Little Book of LondonThe ultimate Loo Book - chock full of halarious and downright random facts of London.

When writing the above, it struck me as weird that there is a little bit of self-social pressure to look educated and a bit high-brow. I know I don't, and I'm cool with that.

via Google Plus through +Terry McNeil 

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links and it adds nothing to the price of your book. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)
Any suggestions that you think knock out one or more of the above? What is your most paged through book?

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Adorkable: Book Review

"Welcome to the dorkside. It's going to be a bumpy ride. . ." 

  

The lead character seems to embody something of what every teenage (and young at heart) blogger secretly, and not so secretly aspires to be - independant, cool for the people who matter, jetting off all around the world and earning huge sums of money doing something she loves.  I also couldn't stop loving the fact that's it's a novel about being a blogger - off centre cool has made it to the mainstream, yusss!

The basic story is centred around Jeane's high school real life world vs. on the internet via her internationally recognised blog & Twitter personal about yoof - and one boy that she can't seem to stop snogging. She come across more maturely than you would expect from a teenager, but most young people who live away from their parents from an early age do learn see the world in a much more adult way. As a couple her & Michael work really well, balancing each other in the best of ways.

Adorkable: Sarra Manning

The characters are cool, and it's nice to be reading about geeky characters instead of the perfectly formed Venus and Adonis stereotypes which you seem to find in most gothic romance books. I couldn't put it down and laughed out loud more than a few times. The troubles along the way; dealing with her less than nuclear family, her living situation, not to mention boy troubles and usual High School dramas are all carried out with flair in thrifted clothing and a whirl of coloured hair. She is a lovable character for her outer fierceness and inward turmoil, and her love interest is a perfect foil and balance for her impetuos ways.

"It's all about being who you want to be rather than what you're expected to be."

And that ^ is why you should read this.

Disclaimer: I didn't realise until writing this post, that the book is meant to be teen fiction (15+). Please don't judge me too harshly - I've good pretty good bookworm credentials; I've read many classics, To Kill a Mockingbird, Most of Jane Austen and Dickens works, Pride and Prejudice several times (including with Zombies), Jack Kerouac's On The Road and a host of non-reviewed books.

It's also a mark of how good it is.

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links and it adds nothing to the price of your book. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)

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A genuine TARDIS: London Living

Monday blues. Everyone wants to turn back the clock, and make it 4.30pm on a Friday afternoon again. Well, the writers of Doctor Who came up with a very creative solution - a blue 1960s London public phone box, originally used to contact the police re-purposed as a time machine on Doctor Who. Who'd a-thunk it? (Sorry for the pun).

Please let me introduce the ‘Time and Relative Dimension in Space’ or better known as the one and only TARDIS, a machine used for travelling through time and space. It's also a brilliant 'alternative' Tourist attraction for Sci-fi loving fans. Ok, so maybe it's not expressly for escaping the Monday blues, but it would work perfectly!

 

Currently holding the Guinness World Record as the longest-running science fiction television show in the world first screening on the BBC in 1963, Doctor Who holds a dear place in many peoples hearts (and those who don't like it were probably scared of the pretty advanced-for-the-time monsters).

 

The lead character, simply known as "the Doctor" is a Time Lord - an extraterrestrial from the planet Gallifrey, who travels through time and space in an internally vast time machine called the TARDIS which appears relatively small when seen from the outside, but is in fact very large on the inside.

The Eleventh Doctor and his assistant Credit.

The Doctor flits about the universe, usually with a companion having adventures, saving the universe and fighting baddies. There have been successive generations of actors playing the character, explained by the act of the Doctor being able to regenerate (much like the Bhuddist reincarnation).

Most people have a favourite Doctor, normally the one they grew up with - I have two - Tom Baker '74-'81 and (somewhat controversially) Christopher Ecclestone '05. (For further information, more than I thought was possible, check out here).

I have such fond memories of Doctor Who; the mad adventures, the travelling and exploration. My hubby does also - mostly of Daleks peered at from behind the safety of the sofa. We've been enjoying the new series' too - some great new monsters, and re-invention of the baddies. Favourite new episodes include Blink, Bad Wolf/Parting of the Ways and World War Three. Christmas day with our UK family you'll find all the kids in the house (including big ones like me) and the cat gathered round the TV breathlessly awaiting the Christmas special.

Thankfully if you are a Who-vian, you don't have to travel to Gallifrey or the ends of time to find a TARDIS, as there is one conveniently parked outside Earl's Court tube station. Neat and very random, huh? It's another of the things I love about London, you really don't know what to expect next.

The directions are really easy: Take a District or Picadilly Line Train to Earl’s Court Station. Exit the station (take the Earl's Court Road exit), immediately turn right, walk about 10 feet and it's on your left, between you and the Road. You can't get inside, unless you know the Doctor, or an incredible special effects team but it's still awesome.

 

I've also heard rumours of other TARDIS sightings over London - at Winston Churchill’s Britain At War Experience, Tooley Street; Television Centre, Wood Lane (probably now moved to the BBC's new headquarters in Manchester) and of all places, Hendon Police Training College where it can be glimpsed from Northern Line trains. 

 

Oops, there it goes again! 

 

Beam me up! No, wait...

 

Are you a Doctor Who fan? Who is your favourite Doctor,  companion and Monster?

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Gone Girl: Book Review

Have you ever found a book you want to like, but couldn't? Every day for weeks I walked  past a display in a booksellers window, made entirely of copies of this book. I heard reviews of it, listen to friends gush about how incredible it was and generally heard a lot of good things about this popular novel.

 

It's a fascinating idea: a crime/thriller set in the modern day US, a woman's disappearance and presumed murder by her husband. The twists and turns are really interesting - let's put it this way, I wouldn't want to annoy anyone with a mind like Gillian Flynn.

Maybe it was just too long, but the characters didn't pull me in - I did finish it, and I didn't necessarily see the twist coming, but it missed a spark for me. The characters sounded a little forced in my view, but I really enjoyed the multiple view/hall of mirrors style of narration, but for such a long book the characters were flawed and not full enough. You may be thinking that it's out of my normal genre, but I loved Before I Go To Sleep review recently and grew up on a diet of crime/thriller (Dean Koontz is one of my top 5 favourite authors) as well as my favourite fantasy and history books.

I read a lot (having a commute to fill will do this to you), and I don't often pick up books that are currently popular. Maybe it's the hippy side my Mother raised me with, but I often find that books that are over-hyped tend to be disappointing. Maybe it's the expectation setting it up for a fall, but this was the same - really interesting, clever premise and idea, but it just didn't rock my world as much as I though it would.

It was however on the New York times bestseller list last year for eight weeks and (date date of posting this) has sold over two million copies (print & e-book, according to Wikipedia). Just #keepingitreal

(Ps. just found a website for suggesting books (ahem above) when you are searching for a new one to read: Book Country)

Have you read it? Do you agree/disagree?

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links and it adds nothing to the price of your book. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)

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The Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Peel Society: Reading Recommendation

Firstly, happy #worldbookday!

“ I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.”

Recommended to me by a lovely lady via Twitter, I simply didn't want this to end. A series of letters jsut after the Second World War, between a London newspaper columnist and a group of unlikely friends on Guernsey (who invented the society to hide a dinner party feasting on a forbidden pig which eventually evolves into reality), this tells the story of the effect the Nazi occupation had on the lives of the Guernsey people and how the bonds of friendship helped them cope with the daily monotony and atrocities of their occupation.

I couldn't put this down. I'm not normally one who enjoys multiple view-point books, and written entirely as an Epistolary novel (taking the form of letters) to and fro each of the characters establishing who they are and the events, this book charmed my socks off. I also didn't know a whisker about Guernsey.

It's a soft, charming, sad and funny book, and one you open it, you will struggle to put it down. I'm a sucker for anything London (you would think living here I would be sick of it, but no) and anything War related, and this was no exception. The American authors Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows made a very credible post-war England and Guernsey, and I can imagine walking down the streets. The braveness of Elizabeth is heartwarming, and she epitimoses the war spirit a lot of people had in such harrowing times.

 The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

I was sad to see the book end - I laughed, I cried, it made me yearn to explore the small island and find out more. The authors are American, but write with believable conviction. There is criticism floating around that it's not a challenging read (umm, hello read War and Peace if that's what you are looking for) and that the characters all 'wrote' in the same 'voice' but I think they didn't, and to exaggerate the individual voices any more would skew them slightly.

I loved it!

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links and it adds nothing to the price of your book. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)

 

 

 

 

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The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry: Book Review

After sitting lonesome on my shelf, I picked this book up and couldn't put it down.

"Harold Fry was a tall man who moved through life with a stoop, as if expecting a low beam, or a screwed-up paper missile, to appear out of nowhere."

 

Harold Fry, a recently retired 65-year old receives a letter from an old colleague, dying of Cancer. He pens a reply, tells his wife he'll be back soon intending to walk it to the postbox, and simply carries on - for 600 miles with boating shoes, his wallet and an vague purpose.

 

 The Unlikely Pilgrimage Of Harold Fry: Rachel Joyce

 

This is a slow read, exploring how relationships can change over time, so slowly that you don't realise what has happened. Harold and his wife Maureen have been married for 47 years and are re-defining who they are. Harold's journey changes them - physically, emotionally and mentally.

 

"She was nothing but the remembering"

 

It was just so easy to pick up and delve into - the characterisations of Harold and Maureen delicious - I don't know what it's like to be 65, but I certainly have a good idea of how it could be now.

 

"The world was made up of people putting one foot in front of the other; and a life might appear ordinary simply because the person living it had been doing so for a long time.”

 

It made me appreciate the little things we take for granted, assuming that everything will always be the same and questioning why we let life develop instead of taking it by the reins. This is the after-effect of the book on you - you enjoy it, laugh, cry at it - and find yourself afterwards almost brooding. It has lessons, but in a tiny slipped in way - no preaching here.

(You may wonder why this is so brief, I don't like including spoilers, and it's such a lovely story!)

 

(Disclaimer: the above links to an Amazon Associates UK account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links, but at no extra charge to you. So if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the link under the image. Help support a book addiction...)

Are there times you look back on & wish you could change?

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Glass Houses - Rachel Caine: Book Review

I came to this series late. In some ways it's a shame, in others it means I don't have to wait to read the subsequent books...

 

"Welcome to Morganville, Texas. Just don't stay out after dark."

 

They are seriously addictive of the Vampire persuasion. Clare, is a young brainiac starting University early as a transfer student in the town of Morgansville. On campus everything is fairly normal, there are the perfect groups and the off-centre groups, normal stuff, until is bullied into living off campus, and then the real fun begins.

 

Glass Houses - Rachel Caine

This genre of books are my secret vice. I like to try the Classics, I like to read a real variety of stuff, but these are my addiction. Vampires (I can actually hear hubby rolling his eyes as he says it disparagingly) are huge with authors getting on the Twilight bandwagon, but it takes real skill to create a parrallel Universe such as this so well.

With a butt-kicking cast - Claire, her roommates Shane, Eve and Michael and a host of Baddies, Good Guys and a few you aren't entirely sure of, I found these well written, light, interesting and full of action. The books are light entertainment, and it's nice to not have the pg-18 actions some authors feel the need to insert into the genre.

Claire is a very naive 16 at the start of the series, and it's refreshing to follow her as she grows up, and gets to know who she is. My favourite aspect of the book is the repartee between her and her house mates, I laughed out loud a few times at the typical, inane stuff they find amusing. It's spot on.

 

There are complex backstories to all of the characters and how they react, and a few twists and turns you won't be expecting. It's a different vein (hahaha) to A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter, but just as enjoyable.

And it involves down the track a pair of Fanged Bunny Slippers, just like mine! Amazingly, my fanged bunny slippers are a Monty Python reference - the Knight-Eating Rabbit (maybe I was always destined to live in England, with a sense of humour like I have?)

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links and it adds nothing to the price of your book. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)

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The Snow Child: Book Review

Sweet, slow, gentle, gorgeous. I found the Snow Child to be an intriguing read, it's definately not an action book, but is based around a Husband and Wife in Alaska in the 1920s, a stark unforgiving landscape on which their relationship and need for a child is laid bare.

Jack and Mabel struggle, Jack with the weigh of responsibility and sheer volume of work nessecary to coax a living out of the harsh wilderness, and Mabel with the loneliness and depression of being so self-contained. In a moment of rare fun they make a snowgirl. The next morning the snowgirl and all her acoutrements are gone, but a young blonde girl with a red fox at her side, is running through the deserted woods.

Taking inspiration from a Russian Fairytale, this is a beautiful read, as they explore a relationship with this almost fey creature, and the journey it takes them on. The characterisations and relationships in the novel are lovely; Jack and Mabel make friends who seem almost ruddy with their family and offer of friendship.

I did feel a disconnect near the end of the book as did friends of mine that recommended it, but I guess the author needed to tie it up in someway it feels almost enivitable what happens, but makes sense for them.

Another slow burner, this very weather topical book sucks you in slowly, before you've realised it you are half way through, much like "The Little Stranger". In some ways, I'm not sure that I would have read this or stuck with it without doing these reviews - it makes you really consider what you are reading 'Do I like this?' 'What would I do in this situation'?

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links and it adds nothing to the price of your book. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)

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The Language of Flowers: Book Review

There are so many layers to the world around us, and as I grow older discovery seems to be ever more fascinating. This novel is based around the Romatic Victorian language of flowers; the symbolic meanings they placed on specific flowers to convey emotion to lovers and loved ones.

The story is a about a girl in care, whose Mother gave her up as an orphan, and the profound difference a foster mother made to her life. The story is told in alternating chapters of present life at the beginning of her Twenties and the parallel of ten years past. Her foster Mother teaches her the Victorian flower symbologies as a way of conveying the locked up emotion she holds inside; which she researches and begins to create her own dialect. Once emancipated at 18, this  becomes a way for her to communicate with the world and create a livelihood learning to cope in a complex world.

"Anyone can grow into something beautiful"
 

This book has haunted me for days, and I kind of cried my way through the last 20% of it. The lead character Victoria really feels real and is an incredibly character. You empathise with her, hurt with her, want to shake her in annoyance, want to shout at her and want to feed her. She is complex and surprising, and makes you appreciate your family and loved ones.

This was Vanessa Diffenbaugh's debut novel, and for me it was stunning. I physically couldn't put it down, and my hubby became a book widow.

The book is written in a very compelling 'voice' with no silly trickeries or embellishments. It's simply Victoria's world view, with the limited and horrible experiences she has faced first in care, in the real world and then as a result of her actions.

I came across some really interesting information about the author, such as;

Q (via Amazon.com): If you were to represent yourself with a bouquet, which flowers would you choose and why?A: Helioptrope (devoted affection), Black-Eyed Susan (justice), Hawthorn (hope), Liatris (I will try again), Lisianthus (appreciation), and Moss (maternal love). These flowers represent how I am--devoted, affectionate, maternal, and grateful--and also how I want to be--hopeful, determined, and constantly working for justice.

And her full flower dictionary.

After diving into the book, I also had to go and buy a nice cheery bouquet (especially with the horrendous weather we have been having), and thought it would be fun to see what my flowers meant once deciphered - (but bearing in mind this is a mass produced boquet)...

Orange Rose: Fascination and Desire
Gerbera: Warmth and Creativity
Liatris: Enthusiasm, "I will try again"
Chrysanthemum: Truth

(Thank you to the Twitter crew, I didn't have a clue about what the Liatris was!)

Isn't it lovely? Flowers are such a kind gesture anyway - they have no real use except to comfort, decorate or tell someone you are in their thoughts. I don't think I'll ever buy someone flowers again without thinking of and mentioning what they mean.

This is an absoloutely gorgeous read and reels you in, hook line and sinker - one to curl up in front of a fire with and let yourself become totally absorbed.

What do your favourite flowers mean?

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links and it adds nothing to the price of your book. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)

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A Hidden Fire - Reading Recommendation

If you liked Twilight (Stephanie Meyers), The Southern Vampire Series - Sookie Stackhouse Novels (Charlaine Harris) or The Vampire Academy Novels (Richelle Mead) you will love the Elemental Mysteries Series by self-publishing author Elizabeth Hunter.

I downloaded the first book Hidden Fire as a free e-book on a day off, and I didn't do very much else that day, bar download the second book. It's intruiging, well-paced, intense, and the characters are great. Normally I steer clear of the free e-books are they are usually pretty rough, but this series was brilliant.

A Hidden Fire: Elizabeth Hunter

 

The book blurb:

“No secret stays hidden forever.” A phone call from an old friend sets Dr. Giovanni Vecchio back on the path of a mystery he’d abandoned years before. He never expected a young librarian could hold the key to the search, nor could he have expected the danger she would attract. Now he and Beatrice De Novo will follow a twisted maze that leads from the archives of a university library, through the fires of Renaissance Florence, and toward a confrontation they never could have predicted. A Hidden Fire is a paranormal mystery/romance for adult readers. It is the first book in the Elemental Mysteries Series.

It had me hooked from page one and I felt like I really develop a kinship for the characters; Beatrice (who likes to be known as B) is strong, young, has some fantastic come-backs and is an intense character who is easily identifiable; Giovanni is a 500 year old Vampire with the nickname Sparky, a fascinating back-story, control issues and likes to watch America wrestling; not to mention the great friends they have such a Carwyn ap Bryn, Caspar and Isadora, B's Grandmother.

There is a slowly developing relationship between B and Giovanni, and I really enjoyed the slow chase, and how he didn't click his fingers and she ran to him. She makes some really interesting decisions throughout the book, some that you don't quite expect.

I really enjoyed the authors in-depth knowlege and descriptions of the locales of the book, you really get the passion the author has for writing.

Yes, it's a variation on the popular Vampire/Fantasy/Magic genre, but it's a stonking variation. I'm posting this early in the week in case you're wondering what to get someone you love for Christmas, and they are a Twiharder.

Actually, forget that, get it yourself - the ebook is currently free on Kindle (at the time of writing). An absoloute travesty as you won't regret buying this.

(Please note any links to Amazon above are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the link under the image)

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Desert Island Discs

Your task - should you accept it - is to choose 6 books, 6 songs and 6 movies which you would like to take with onto your desert island ... plus one "luxury item" which may not be a means of escape or communication or a living creature.  You do get:

 

Sufficient food and water
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare
Whatever Religious book you would care to follow
A gramophone (or CD player in this day and age)
and
A Video and TV with which to play movies

 

Off the top of my head I think I would choose;

6 Books:
The Night Circus, Erin Morgenstern - Beautiful and dreamlike it's a wonderful escape.
The Twilight Saga Omnibus, Stephanie Meyer (is that cheating?) - Yes, I'm a little bit of a Twihard, it's a guilty pleasure that I enjoy re-reading occasionally.
The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett - This is a childhood favourite of mine, I wonder why is came to mind?
A guide to tropical plants - It always pays to be prepared on a Desert Island.
War & Peace, Leo Tolstoy - It's a life goal to read this baby, and let's be honest,being marooned on a Desert Island with no real distractions is probably the best time to read it.
The next book in whatever series I'm reading at the time.

6 Songs - This one is really hard:
The Spirit of Radio, Rush - To remind me of my husband.
Eye of the Tiger, Survivor - Reminding me to never give up
What You Want, Evanescence - Brilliant Rock song I can't get enough of at the moment.

Broken, Seether feat. Amy Lee - Beautiful rock duet.
Hope (the long version), Fat Freddy's Drop - The perfect summer jam by an awesome Kiwi band. Perfect for sitting under a Palm tree.
Small World, Roddy Frame - I love this song, and would love to have the time to the singing timings right.

6 Movies
Robin Hood, Men in Tights - The funniest movie ever.
The Second Twilight Movie - I just loved it.
Memoirs of a Geisha - for the sheer stunning cinematography.
Airplane - The second funniest movie ever.
Lord of the Rings - to remind me of NZ & because I was an extra in it (my 15 second claim to fame).
Silence of the Lambs - I've not seen it in a long time, but I would like to again.

An acoustic guitar would be my luxury item - I always wanted to learn to play it properly, I could try charming the locals, write songs, use the strings for fishing wire if I ran out of food, and could use it to collect water, or a weapon in case of danger.

I must admit I'm not very good at these 'favourite lists' for instance favourite foods the answer tends to be "Er," and whichever one I fancy at that given moment.

 

I would love you to leave your picks in the comments section below, or link to a post in your own blog, also in the comments section.

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The Night Circus - Reading Recommendation

I couldn't put this down. It was fascinating, capivating, mysterious and funny.

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads:

Opens at Nightfall

Closes at Dawn

As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears.

Le Cirque des Rêves

The Circus of Dreams.

Now the circus is open.

Now you may enter.

The Night Circus: Erin Morgenstern

It's escapist, it's fantasy, it's dreamlike, but the luscious descriptions of the character, textures and feeling through the book almost make you yearn for the Circus to exist. Two magicians are training apprentices, and have set the circus as a playing field for the apprentices, in a duel that, unknown to the duellists is one to the death.

There are wonderful characters; Celia and Marco the apprentices, Alexander and Hector the magicians, with a second storyline of Bailey, Poppet and Widget; characters who live within the circus, and in Baileys case escape to the circus. I can't believe this is a debut novel - the tapestry is just so rich.

I'd also like a dancing kitten, just sayin'.

These are characters, and they are also performers playing a part and the show must go on. The tiny chapters with differing points of view and times, unusually, didn't annoy, but seemed to keep the impetus going - you wanted to keep turning the pages, if only to find the next circus creation.

Definately for the younger (Twilight/Harry Potter) generation who like fantasy and to escape reading, but also I feel for those that aren't big readers. There is meant to be a movie coming out, and I really really hope they pull out all the stops.

Get this. Beg, steal or borrow it if you haven't read it.

Did you ever want to runaway to the circus as a child?

(Please note any links to Amazon above are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the link under the image) 



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The Little Stranger

This psychological drama was a slow-burning page turner.

I read this on the recommendation of a fellow blogger - Kit at What a Peach! and I am SO glad I did.

It's subtle, delicious and mesmerising. Set just after WW2 in agricultural England, there is something not quite right about the Ayres family mansion. The author keeps you guessing all the way through, and I don't want to give away any spoilers.

The Little Stranger: Sarah Waters

The characters are good, if ever so slightly one-sided but the house almost becomes a character in it's own right, affecting those around it in so many ways. The lead character Dr Faraday is a local man whose mother worked many years ago in the house as a Nanny. (As I write these words, a strange smell of smoke arises in our home - no wait, that's the neighbours fireplace - never mind).

I have to use anothers words to sum this up - Tatiana from Goodreads; "Curious and deliciously ambiguous [in an] enigmatic way". Utterly perfect description.

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the above Book & author link)

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Neverwhere

"Have you ever got everything you ever wanted? And then realized it wasn't what you wanted at all?"

I love Terry Pratchett, and when I saw that he had co-written with Neil Gaiman, I thought I'd check him out as an author. Cause if he has my mate Sir Terry's approval, he should be good enough for me.

Neverwhere: Neil Gaiman

It's a really interesting premise (much like Adventures Underground) of a mirror image of the reality of London, a London with fantasy elements, but this developes the idea much further, with the lead character slipping through the cracks and discovering ‘London Below’, the place below the sewers and train tunnels, where rats have kingdoms and "Night is still an idea that is terrifying".

Basically, Richard Mayhew has a good life. A good job, a nice fiancee, a nice apartment. Until one evening on his way home, he happens across a girl called Door bleeding. Then everything gets a little existential.

There are some fabulous characters - the Angel Islington, the Marquis Carabas but the main character Richard Mayhew leaves a lot to be desired. He is a good foil, but a 2D foil nonetheless. It is very funny in places, and I loved the personification of tube stations.

I felt it was a little uneven in places; it wavered over detailing to not enough, but it has whet my appetite enough to get The Graveyard Book which has had some stunning reviews. From researching, Neil Gaiman's background is more graphically based, possibly hence the uneveness, but it was enjoyable nonetheless.

I've also purchased the BBC mini-series of Neverwhere from which this book comes, just in time for the snow. It's ok, I've got my heater, the hubby and the cat. I just need to convince my boss I can work from under my duvet!

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links but it doesn't add any cost to your purchase. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the top link)

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A Game of Thrones

This book reminded me of Marmite. You know how it is; some people love it, some people hate it, and you occasionally see a lone jar on the shelf, and think 'Oh, what the heck (or something more punchy depending on the kind of store you're in) it's been aaages since I tried Marmite'.

A Song of Ice and Fire (1) - A Game of Thrones George R. R. Martin

Sometimes you are in the mood for Marmite; hot buttery toast beckoning, crackers with cheese and other times you are served it, thick as tar and the smell makes you feel gross.

"In the Seven Kingdoms, its all a power struggle between the different families. And the largest struggle happens between the Starks and the Lannisters. If you are not a Lannister, then you are not safe once the King dies. Everyone is out for your blood. Its a story of falsely accused treason, dragons, Kings and Queens, Lords and Ladies."

I'm still unsure about this book. I finished it, and considered getting the sequel, but haven't gotten around to it (much like the reason I haven't read it before - I never got around to it). I've never been a fan of the multi-character point-of-view novel as you don't really get to know the characters; their development usually non-existant. This is essence why the book ends up being like Marmite. You like it, you don't, you like it, you don't...

There are a variety of characters embroiled in the fight for the throne of the Seven Kingdoms; and to be contrary, the ones I enjoyed the most aren't the heroes, but were Tyrion (the dwarf brother of twins angling for the throne, and Danerys, the last 'true' dragon heir for the thronw. Tyrion is probably the most multi-faceted character - equal parts mischevious, charming, devious and sad. Danerys is quite unique in my experience - she has the makings of a supreme evil character - but what is interesting is seeing how she begins to develop, shaped by the world and events around her.

These are the best developed characters, and the ones I looked the most forward to, but the rest left me a little cool. J R Martins descriptions of the Seven Kingdoms were beautifully textured though - I particularily loved the Moon Gate. Chilling.

The direwolves are cool.

The plot and speed of the very very long novel keep your interest piqued, but I'm glad I've got this on my e-reader - in 'real life' this book is 2 inches thick. Definately a book for the long haul reader. I was discussing this with my work colleagues and they very puzzled asked "Why on earth are you reading it when it's out on TV?"

It might be a good call actually ... accompanied by some hot buttery toast.

(Please note any links to Amazon are through my Amazon Associates account, which means I make a little money (less than 5%) from any purchases made after clicking through these links. This helps support my book addiction, so if you are interested in buying the book, please click through the link under the image)

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