Review - Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

Hello everyone!

The last week has been a little mad on the home front, lots of work and lots of animals! Finding time for reading was proving a little difficult, but I eventually cleared my schedule and finished my first book of 2019. I have been doing a buddy read of Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor with my friend Jonny over @jonnyslibrary. We have both now finished the book and come to terms with our feelings so it’s time for a review.

It’s been a long while since I did a proper book review so sit back and relax, this could be a long one! I sense a rant coming on :-)

Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor

This book follows our main character Madeleine Maxwell as she embarks on a new line of work in the elusive St Mary’s history department. The historians of St Mary’s are no ordinary scholars, they travel back in time to document events as they really happened. The main rule is not to change anything, but of course that is easier said than done. One misadventure leads to another which leads to another which leads to events that could alter the very fabric of the future world!

2.5 stars

Positives - engaging plot lines, easy to get into, interesting world building

Negatives - very triggering, unbelievable character relationships, very rushed

*Spoilers*

Aaaah this book! I seriously struggled to rate this book, it started as a 4 star then dropped to a 2 and just about redeemed itself to a 2.5 by the end. Where to start?

The setting was lovely old academic England with all the quirks of mad professors. I loved the first 100 pages when Max is doing her training. It had just the right amount of humour and brutality to really invest me in the story. However, when Max goes back to the Cretaceous period (think dinosaurs) it all went south. Firstly Sussman’s character went from being your typical arrogant man to downright awful in 2 seconds flat. He tries to rape her and then tries to murder her and you later find out he planned to kill her all along! This is a man who worked and laughed with her for 5 years! It all felt a bit jarring, but it’s not the worst. 

Disaster strikes when a mission goes wrong and several members, including her lover Chief Farrell are lost in dinoland. All of a sudden she’s out of a job and thinks her lover is dead. A few months later she finds herself in pain so off she heads to the clinic and oh wait she’s having a miscarriage. Very rushed right? 

The miscarriage part of the novel did nothing to advance the story or the characters and the way it was handled was so casual and off-hand that it really disturbed me. This is a subject that should be handled with care and not just thrown in as a random plot twist. If that wasn’t bad enough, when Chief Farrell finds out she was pregnant and lost the baby he instantly accuses her of cheating and trying to pass the baby off as his. Later on he apologises and she shockingly takes him back! No self-respecting woman would tolerate that kind of behaviour. She had just risked life and limb heading back in time to save him, why would she do that if she never loved him and was cheating on him?

The plot felt jarring and a lot of it felt cobbled together with no real structure. Suddenly characters carry out an action or say things that are completely out of keeping with their behaviour until that point! Personally, I found this book a bit triggering and nearly put it down. I loved the idea of it and I’m hoping subsequent books are better, but for now I’m not sure I’ll continue the series. It's always an alarm bell when the most believable part of a time travel novel is the time travel itself. 

Have you read this book? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below if you’ve read any disappointing books lately :-)

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here!

Flower design credit here! 

April Reading Wrap Up

Hello everyone! 

May is here! That means it should be Spring right? So where is the warm weather? Did I sleep through Spring and Summer or something? Well hopefully it'll be warm soon so we can bring on the summer contemporary romance books :-) 

April was an amazing reading month for me, I read a whole ton of books! If I'm honest I did cheat a little, by reading some short stories and graphic novels, but they were all part of series I needed to catch up on I swear. You might notice I did binge a lot of books by the same authors, I find it much easier to immerse myself in a fantasy world if I read all the books very close together. I like to live and breathe the world and its characters, it helps me connect with the story. 

My favourite of the month has to be Katherine Arden's The Girl In The Tower, which makes her my favourite author two months running. This book is the much anticipated sequel to The Bear And The Nightingale. It follows Vasya as she journeys across Russia trying to find her place in the world. Along the way she gets embroiled with savage bandits, treacherous politics and daring horse races. This would all be simply exciting, if there wasn't the added element of fear of discovery. Vasya has to masquerade as a man to survive. What will happen when her identity is revealed? And what is the gathering darkness in Moscow? Vasya will have to dig even deeper into her soul if she wants to save her people.

Now I hear you all shouting "Stop rambling and get on with the ratings", so without further ado here they are: 

1. In The Village Where Brightwine Flows by Bradley Beaulieu - 4 Stars 
2. The Doors At Dusk And Dawn by Bradley Beaulieu - 5 Stars 
3. The Tattered Prince And The Demon Veiled by Bradley Beaulieu - 4.5 Stars 
4. City Of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare - 5 Stars 
5. Of Sand And Malice Made by Bradley Beaulieu - 5 Stars 
6. City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare - 5 Stars 
7. The Girl In The Tower by Katherine Arden - 5 Stars 
8. Snotgirl #3 by Bryan Lee O'Malley - 3 Stars 
9. Snotgirl #4 by Bryan Lee O'Malley - 3 Stars 
10. Snotgirl #5 by Bryan Lee O'Malley - 3.5 Stars 
11. Lumberjanes Vol. 1 by Noelle Stevenson - 4 Stars  

11 books you guys! How did I even achieve that?! I am beginning to think I might be a little too generous with my ratings or maybe I'm just lucky with the books I choose? Let me know what you think in the comments below, and don't forget to tell me what you read in April :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

March Reading Wrap Up

Hello everyone! 

I think, *crosses fingers*, that Spring is finally here in the UK to stay. We didn't get any of the snow forecast for the bank holiday weekend and it's finally starting to get sunny! I love Spring and summer, and not just for the warmth, flowers and outdoor activities, but because I find that I am much more productive in the lighter months. I read more and tend to do more re-organising, which is especially good this year as Mr. GingerSnap and I have some exciting changes coming up, but I'll talk about those at a later date :-) 

Staying true to my usual habit of wanting to read more in Spring, I read 10 books in the month of March. Now for some of you that sounds like quite a reasonable number, but I work very long hours so for me that is a huge number! 

If I go into detail on all the books I read then you will be here forever... So I'm just going to give you my star ratings and talk about my two favourite books of the month: 

1. The Bear And The Nightingale by Katherine Arden - 5 Stars
2. The Wicked Cometh by Laura Carlin - 3 Stars
3. Call The Midwife by Jennifer worth - 4.5 Stars
4. Blood Upon The Sand by Bradley Beaulieu - 5 Stars
5. Caraval by Stephanie Garber - 5 Stars 
6. Lady Susan by Jane Austen - 4 Stars
7. The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell - 5 Stars
8. Daphnis And Chloe by Longus - 4.5 Stars
9. Happily by Chauncey Rogers - 4 Stars ( full review here! )
10. Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - 5 Stars

My two favourites were Clockwork Princess and The Bear And The Nightingale. Clockwork Princess is the final book in The Infernal Devices trilogy and oh my lord did I cry at the end! I probably cried solidly for the last 150 pages, it was so heart wrenching and beautifully written. Cassandra Clare crafts such stunning prose that it really gets under your skin. In this book Tessa is getting ready for her wedding to her dying fiance Jem, but they might not make it that far. The army of automatons is on the move and they want Tessa at all costs! 

Look at this spine!! <3 

The Bear And The Nightingale was arguably one of the biggest debut fantasy releases of last year. As a big fan of Russian literature I was super excited to get into this one. It is strongly interwoven with Russian fairytales and mythology, creating an ethereal and spellbinding world. It follows Vasya as she grows from a child to an adult woman in the countryside. After her mother died giving birth to her, he father remarries a very pious woman. Her stepmother gradually beats out all the old superstitions of the village and imposes her own strict religion. Nobody realises how dangerous this really is, only Vasya can see the decline of the local spirits protecting the house. As their spirits fail, an old evil creeps into the village and only Vasya can do anything about it. 

If that intro for The Bear And The Nightingale doesn't tickle your fancy, nothing will! For the next month I am going to continue Wild Reading and just pick up whatever I fancy reading next :-) At the moment I am reading City Of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare and Matilda by Mary Shelley. What did you enjoy reading last month and do you have any books you want to get to next month? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

Happily by Chauncey Rogers - Review

Hello everyone, 

It's once again time for a book review :-) I was lucky enough to be sent an ARC (advance reader copy) of Chauncey Rogers' newest novel Happily. Chauncey Rogers is an American author and this will be his third published novel. I was really excited to get my teeth into this one as I love fairytale retellings. 

No bonus points for guessing which fairytale inspire this one :-P

Happily follows Laure, a sassy street urchin, as she tries to gather enough money to escape a country she has grown to hate. She lies, she steals and has very few morals left, but then an opportunity presents itself. The King has decreed that the young woman who fits the ridiculously large glass slipper can marry the Prince and have access to the crown's money. Sounds like a dream come true for Laure! Teeming up with her new friend Luc, all she needs is a tiny glass slipper, one huge foot and enough time to reach the shoe. Sounds like a piece of cake right? Well fairytales are never that easy! 

Rating: 4 Stars 

Positives: witty characters, funny plot twists and fairytale logic 

For lover of: Amy Alward's The Potion Diaries, Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland

I found this story very engaging and easy to read, I read it across 2 days and was actually a bit sad when it ended. The narrative was very fast paced and clever. It featured every essential fairytale element: star crossed lovers, kingdoms at war, bandits and near misses. I particularly enjoyed the fairytale logic, switching from plot twist to plot twist at a ridiculous rate! It was great! 

The characters are well developed and full, there was definitely no rushing in writing them. There were no insignificant or filler roles, giving the story much more depth. I loved Laure's sassiness in contrast to Luc's open heart and generosity. This book was lighthearted and funny, making it the perfect spring read!

I would recommend this book to any fairytale lover or YA fantasy fan! It publishes on April 3rd so check it out! Let me know in the comments below if you have any retelling recommendations :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here!  

Zoella Book Club 2017

Hello everyone! 

I'm back again with some more book reviews. This time I wanted to talk to you about the Zoella and Friends Book Club 2017 with WHSmith. I have always been a big fan of Zoella and I have loved her previous two book clubs, so it will come as no surprise that I was very excited about this one. As soon as it was announced I hopped online and ordered the box set. Then I had to wait 2 months for my exams to be over before I could binge read them all! 

Yes I know, I read them at the end of August and it is now February, but I thought that this collection of books would be a perfect way for you all to get a scent of summer in your reading. That way you can escape from all this horrible weather we're having in the UK. Let me tell you a little about each book.

Letters To The Lost by Brigid Kemmerer 

This story runs in parallel lines between Juliet Young and Declan Murphy as they fall in love through letters and messages all the while not knowing who the other person is. Juliet is the perfect dutiful student, prim and preppy, but destroyed on the inside by the recent death of her mother. Declan is your typical bad kid, he has a bad reputation and a bad attitude to match. Their worlds collide when Declan finds a letter Juliet has written to her mother in the graveyard where he does his community service. This book is heart-wrenching and hard to read, but will take you right back to that person who everyone disapproved of, but turned out to be the best thing for you at the time. 

After The Fire by Will Hill 

I was so excited to see this book on the list and it definitely lived up to my expectations. It is loosely based on the Waco scandal in America and I remember reading about that happening so was very intrigued. The story tells the life of Moonbeam both before and after the fire that started her life. She grew up in a religious cult in the American desert ruled by the disgusting and ruthless Father John. Moonbeam knows the world she lives in is wrong so she starts a fire to break out and change it all for the better. This is a gripping 5 star read through and through! 

Girlhood by Cat Clarke 

Sadly this one was a little bit of a let down, I wanted it to be a much darker thriller than it actually was. It follows Harper trying to escape her past and the loss of her sister by throwing herself into her new school life, but then a new girl arrives and her story is scarily similar to Harper's. After her arrival Harper's world starts to fall apart, leaving Kirsty as her only connection to her old life. The ending was much fluffier than I wanted it to be, but it is a good example of how forgiveness and understanding can go a long way in improving a situation. Definitely still worth a read if you like light thrillers. 

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

I was a bit dubious about this one as I had read quite a few mixed reviews and I don't think it was really the right book for me. It has great representation and deals with loss and LGBTQ+ relationships very well, but I found it difficult to connect with Griffin as a character. Griffin needs to come to terms with the sudden death of his ex-boyfriend Theo and rebuild his life and friendships on new ground. He turns to Theo's new boyfriend and for answers and comfort, but it doesn't turn out quite how he was expecting. It is a well written story of life after death and new starts, worth a read if you are a fan of David Levithan. 

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Aaaaah this book! Every woman and girl on the planet should read this book at the age of 12-16 and take home its very important message. Women are not disposable, we are not the weaker sex and we can stand on equal footing with men. Feminism is not about pushing men down to let us women rise, it is about finding a place to stand next to them as equals and working together. This book is everything I wanted The Power to be. Vivian Carter is the woman we should all be. She is fed up with being downtrodden by her male teachers, subject to chauvinistic remarks that go un-reprimanded. She creates a feminist zine and takes her school, her town and the world by storm! 

Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

This book ripped my heart out, shredded it like confetti and threw the bits to the wind. Jack's family have taken in 14 year old Joseph as a foster child. Joseph has come straight out of juvenile detention after a very troubled back-ground lands him in serious trouble. Joseph isn't what Jack expected, Joseph is sensitive, kind and completely heart-broken. As he opens up to Jack, he tells him how he fell in love and how that love resulted in a little girl called Jupiter. Joseph has never even seen her, but his longing for his daughter is so strong that he enlists the help of sensible Jack in his quest to find her. Read this book, it will break you, but it is worth it. 

The Start Of Me And You by Emery Lord

This story is super cute and quite fluffy, probably the only fluffy book in this selection. My Mam is actually afraid of water so I enjoyed how the author dealt with the protagonist Paige's new found phobia. This phobia sprung to life after her boyfriend drowned. Now Paige is not only dealing with a very real fear, but with the new label of "dead guy's girlfriend". What Paige struggles with most isn't the loss of her boyfriend, but the loss of their potential. They weren't together very long and now their chance of a future has gone. This inspires Paige to make a list of goals in the hope that it will bring her back to life. This brings her into Max's world. Max is everything a nerd love interest should be, he is geeky, kind and really funny. I fell in love with him on the first page he featured. Read this book if you want to feel uplifted by new chances and teenage friendships! 

The One Memory Of Flora Banks by Emily Barr

My Mam reckons this book will be a classic one day. Flora has short term retrograde amnesia, meaning she loses her memory several times throughout the day and has to have lists and post-its at the ready to remind herself who she is. Then one night she kisses Drake at a party and remembers it. She goes on a quest to find Drake, but he has moved to The North Pole. Defying everything anyone expects Flora follows him there, all the while trying to remember how she got there! This story is gripping, funny and very difficult to not get attached to. Flora's struggle is inspiring and I wish more people would read this book. 

Wow, that's it! All 8 books from the selection. As you can see they cover a really wide array of topics and genres within the YA heading. There is definitely something in there for everyone and if you ever thought Zoella's book club would be full of fluffy insubstantial romances I hope I have changed your mind! 

Have you read any of these? What were your thoughts on them? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

Top 5 YA Fantasy Series

Hello everyone! 

This post is probably going to show my age, so let's kick things off with me saying that as a 24 year old woman I can sadly no longer class myself as a young adult. However, being a fully fledged adult does not mean I don't still enjoy reading YA as a genre. If you are old, like me, when you were a teen YA didn't really exist and all those books came under teen fiction. YA sprang to life when I had already passed into adulthood, so forgive me if some of these books blur into other age groups. 

Long intro aside, I am here today to give you a brief over-view of my top 5 YA fantasy series :-) They are in no particular order!

1. The Great Library by Rachel Caine

These books are for those of you who love books about libraries. They follow Jess as he integrates the Great Library of Alexandria on the orders of his book smuggler father. He was born into the brutal world of smuggling illegal books around the world, with no mercy shown to those who are caught by the library. Overtime the library has seized control of the world, rationing books and knowledge to only those deemed worthy. This provides and ideal environment for anarchy to grow. The anarchists like to burn: books, libraries, cities. They value human life above books. Now Jess is stuck somewhere between the two. His love of books makes him want to protect them, but his even fiercer love of his friends is tearing him in two. 

2. Abhorsen by Garth Nix

Sabriel is missing, I lent her to a friend :-)

The Abhorsen series has been going on for years, I read the first three books when I was still a teen! The book starts with Sabriel, the daughter of the Abhorsen crossing the wall into the Old Kingdom to find take up her heritage. As the Abhorsen-in-waiting she has to learn how to use the 7 bells to banish creatures returning from the rivers of death. This might sound a bit gruesome to some of my more squeamish readers, but I promise you these books are gripping. The next few books bring more main characters into play, creating a complex landscape of inter-woven stories. 

3. Inkheart by Cornelia Funke  

I love these books so much, Dustfinger was the first male character I ever truly fell in love with. This story follows Meggie and her father Mo as they run from the criminal Capricorn. Capricorn is no normal villain, he is the villain of a storybook, plucked out of his own story by Mo's silver tongue. Meggie has inherited Mo's gift, but she also has a gift of her own. Her written words can alter the story she is reading, but this comes with a price when she reads herself into a story she has rapidly lost control of. This series blurs the lines between the real and the written in the most fantastic ways :-) 

4. Tales Of The Otori by Lian Hearn 

Again, some books are missing! 

The Tales Of The Otori are loosely set in medieval Japan with elements of magic. Takeo was born in a remote village, worshiping a forbidden god. When his village and family are massacred he discovers he has mysterious skills, skills some may call magic. These skills mark him as a member of the Tribe, but his skills surpass even their levels of normal. He is the most powerful Tribe member for many generations, transforming him into a hunted man. Add to this his heritage as an Otori and a forbidden romance with the most beautiful woman in the empire and you have one hell of a good story! This book is for lovers of Game Of Thrones and The White Queen. 

5. The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare

This series being on the list will not surprise anyone. Cassandra Clare is well known as the queen of YA fiction after her Mortal Instruments series shook the world. Don't get me wrong, I love that series, but this one struck me more. Tessa is such an interesting character fighting between her feelings for two different men and her own strong morals. For those of you unfamiliar with the story, it follows Tessa, a young american woman arriving in London to meet her brother. Her brother never shows and she is kidnapped by the terrible Dark Sisters who torture her into revealing her ability to change into any person she chooses as long as she has access to a personal item of theirs. If this wasn't enough, she is drawn into the world of the Shadow Hunters, sworn to fight demons invading our realm. Among these are Jem and Will, two men as different as night and day, but both quickly staking claims on her heart. She must join their ranks to fight not only demons, but The Magister's harsh destructive automatons which threaten to over-run the world. 

I hope this hasn't rambled on too much for all of you! Please let me know your favourite YA fantasy series in the comments below :-) I'm always looking for new recommendations! 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here!

A Beginners Guide To H. G. Wells

Hello everyone! 

Today I'm here to talk about the grandfather of classic science fiction - H. G. Wells! This author has long been a favourite of mine, ever since I discovered The War Of The Worlds. Which I'm sure many of you will know from the excellent movie. The problem with this movie is that it can overshadow the books a little so I'm going to give you a beginners guide to reading this amazing author's work. 

Let's start with the most accessible of his novels: The War Of The Worlds and The Time Machine. Both of these novels are fast paced and thrilling. The War Of The Worlds details an alien invasion of planet earth, bringing with it the near destruction of human kind. The Time Machine tells the story of the nuttiest of all professors creating a time machine taking him thousands of years into the future. What he finds there is at first glance utopia, but with a little digging he learns that all paradises come with a dark price. When I read these novels I completely forgot they were written in the 1800's, the language is fluid and easy to read. These are the best place to start for H. G. Wells, once you've read these there is no going back and you'll be begging for more stories! 

The Invisible Man is almost as fast paced as the above, but it is a little slower to get into which could be off-putting as your first read. Once you are used to H. G. Wells' writing style you'll fly through this one. It follows Griffin, a mad scientist who has perfected a formula for making creatures invisible. This sounds amazing in theory, but it leaves Griffin desperate and friendless, slowly descending into murderous madness. He will stop at nothing to find the cure. I love the flow of this narrative, it jumps backwards and forwards in time as Griffin's tale becomes clearer, leaving you desperate for more after each page. 

The next two books aren't really hard to get into, but they do fall on the weirder end of the H. G. Wells scale. The Island Of Doctor Moreau is all about the horrors of vivisection and the ultimate mad scientist. Doctor Moreau lives on a deserted island with only his "creations" for company, creations is a kind word really. They are more like monsters, blended from the corpses of men and animals. This is a cautionary tale of what can happen when you try too hard to control nature.

Penguin's Little Black Classics collection is pure genius and they did not miss their mark with their choice of three short stories. The Sea Raiders tells of man-eating sea creatures raiding a seaside resort, which sounds comical, but when you read it it's terrifying! The Magic Shop and The Land Ironclads are two of his strangest stories and are not for the fans of realism. These two would not be out of place in Wonderland! The Magic Shop walks that fine line between tricks to delight children and sinister illusions made to frighten and horrify adults. The Land Ironclads tells a story of destruction on the battlefield at the hands of unstoppable mechanical fiends. Both these stories are bizarre and twisted, more for those who appreciate surreal literature. 

H. G. Wells is the perfect author to read if you love Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, he perfectly captures all the dangers of scientific advancement whilst weaving tales of terror and suspense. His novels are timeless and I wish more people were still reading these! 

Have I inspired you to read any of these or have you already read them? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

Why You Should Read Mansfield Park

Hello everyone, 

This year is going to be the year of the chunky classics. I'm planning on sinking my teeth into as many as possible, starting with Mansfield Park by Jane Austen! I did cheat a little bit with this one and started it in 2017, carrying it over into the new year to wrap it up, but I am so glad I started with this one :-)

I have been a fan of Jane Austen since I was a child, I loved watching the tv and movie adaptations and I devoured Sense and Sensibility! From there I went on to read all her shorter novels, with Persuasion reigning as my long term favourite. Then I read Mansfield Park and boy did it knock Persuasion off its pedestal! So I am here today, singing the praises of my new favourite Austen, to give you 5 reasons why you should read this book. 

1. Fanny Price is the most fascinating heroine I have ever encountered

As a general rule novels are either character or plot driven, with the majority of character driven books being dictated by the protagonist. This is not the case in Mansfield Park. Fanny Price is so passive that she is almost invisible. I have never read a novel with a heroine you barely notice! She just bobs along following her cousins and their friends, reflecting on their decisions and predicting the outcomes of their poor choices. She is the ultimate advocate for patience, showing that if you make choices selflessly and based on good morals you will eventually get what you want. 

2. This book is laugh out loud funny!

I found so many of these characters completely ridiculous that I couldn't help laughing out loud at their antics. In my mind the winner of the most ridiculous person award goes to Henry Crawford. This man is such a pompous ass, in fact he is almost a caricature of the typical womaniser of Jane Austen's day. He makes sport of causing young women to fall in love with him, filling his jar of hearts everywhere he goes. Sounds familiar for some men (and women) of our day too right? However, he meets his match with Fanny. He chases her for so long to no avail that he convinces himself he is in love with her! Obviously he isn't really, it is a case of wanting desperately that which he can never have. A very good taste of his own medicine if you ask me. 

3. Hating a literary character is a lot of fun

I'm assuming many of you have read Harry Potter And The Order Of The Phoenix, or at least watched the movie. Is Dolores Umbridge not one of the most hateful characters you have ever read? Well Fanny's Aunt Norris certainly gives her a run for her money. I hated her from my first encounter with her, she is mean spirited, snobbish and controlling. She despises Fanny for no better reason than the circumstances of her birth and idolises Maria for being high-born and beautiful, despite Fanny being a far nicer person than Maria could ever be. Reading her downfall at the end of the book and watching her get the social isolation she deserves is so much fun! 

4. Mansfield Park is a clever piece of social commentary

This book shows close up the very common practice of poor relations handing one or more children over to wealthier relatives to raise and house as their own. In the days before birth control family sizes could get a bit out of control and sending your children away wasn't seen as harsh, but as a kindness. Fanny is a recipient of this "kindness". Theoretically it should be great for her going to live with richer "betters", but in reality she is never truly accepted as one of their own. She lives in that twilight zone of better than a servant, but not as good as one of the children. It is a hard place for her to live and gives her all her strong morals and very dutiful nature. The commentary is seen most strongly when Sir Thomas (Fanny's uncle) urges her to accept Henry Crawford's proposal of marriage based on his lineage and wealth. Sir Thomas purposefully ignores his questionable morals and improper behaviour, growing angry at Fanny's protestations that she does not love him and would be miserable. In those days women were almost forced to marry men they did not care for on a daily basis and this is something Jane Austen spent her whole life rebelling against. Obviously there are more areas of social commentary than this, but I chose this as an example because I felt it to be the moist poignant. 

5. There is romance in abundance! 

So many people read Jane Austen's novels for the romance and it is definitely not lacking in this story. There is something here for everyone! The unrequited love of Julia for Henry Crawford is touching and cute, making you reminisce about all the silly crushes you had when you were young. Edmund and Mary's love burns bright and passionately, with arguments causing sparks to fly. This one definitely reminds you of that destructive relationship you held onto for too long. Maria and Mr. Rushworth have a selfish form of love, with Maria loving his money and status far more than she loves the man himself. Henry Crawford's pursuit of Fanny is comical and laughable, it made me want to reach into the pages and shake Fanny saying "please don't fall for this man, he doesn't really love you!" And finally, the slow-burning natural love of Edmund and Fanny is the cherry on top of a wonderful bookish cake. Fanny loves Edmund for years, supporting him and advising him even when it pushed him into the arms of another. She is so selfless and kind, that you wish for Edmund to love her almost as much as she does. Eventually he comes to his senses and realises that he what he desperately wanted to see in Mary Crawford has always been there in Fanny Price if he had only cared to look :-) 

Those are my reasons to read Mansfield Park and if they don't persuade you nothing will! I wish I could go back and read this book from scratch all over again, but as I can't do that, instead I'll look forward to the many times I will be re-reading it. I hope you enjoyed this post, if you've read this book let me know your thoughts on it in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

Ethan Frome Review

Hello everyone, 

If, like me, you are currently in the south of England you will be experiencing some very stormy weather! Now I think this is an excellent excuse for staying indoors cozied up with a good book. For me, one of those books is Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton so I'm here today with a review for you. 

Ethan Frome is a struggling farmer in a small isolated hill town in America. He has been leading a life full of misfortune, trapped first by sickly parents then by a loveless marriage and he is beginning to wonder why any of it is worth doing at all. This is when his wife's cousin Mattie comes to stay, in name she is there to care for his wife Zenobia, but in reality she is there because she has nowhere else to go. Ethan falls in love with Mattie's vibrant optimism, her yearning for knowledge he can teach and her good humour. He starts to fantasise about what life would be like with Mattie by his side instead of Zenobia. Now, feelings like that don't stay secret for long and Zenobia decides to intervene with disastrous consequences for the whole family. 

Rating: 4 Stars 

Positives: Excellent writing and characterisation, very thought-provoking 

Negatives: Depressing as hell

For lovers of: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy 

I gave this book 4 stars simply because of how much it made me think. Normally a story has a clear villain and some people would argue Zenobia is that person, but I disagree. All the characters are at fault really. Zenobia is the un-loving hypochondriac wife who is nonetheless jealous of her husband showing attention to another woman and does her best to thwart his happiness. Ethan is the husband who despises his wife, neglects her and lusts after her younger and more attractive cousin. Mattie is at  fault for encouraging Ethan, knowing full well he is married and that leaving his wife would render her destitute. All I see in this book is desperation. I pitied all of the characters and their hopeless state. At one point I had growing respect for Ethan when he resolved to not leave his wife and do "the right thing", but then he attempts suicide with Mattie and ruins it all. Yes I understand their reasoning, but him alive with Mattie or dead with her leaves Zenobia in the same position. There is a very misplaced sense of romance to their actions, which I appreciate, but do not like! 

The writing of this story is very compelling and I will definitely pick up more Edith Wharton. I have heard her described as one of the true American realists and I think it is essential to read her work as a comparison to Thomas Hardy's very British realism. Ethan doesn't have the amiableness of the iconic Tess or Hester, but he is nonetheless a very believable character. 

I am hoping to move onto a more up-lifting book next, most likely some more Jane Austen. I think more than one book like this in a row would be bad for my morale! Mansfield Park feels like a suitable joyful novel :-) 

Have you read this book or other works by Edith Wharton? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

Christmas Book Haul

Hello everyone! 

I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and festive period if you don't celebrate Christmas itself! I had a wonderfully relaxing time, just spending quality time with my family and pets and, of course, eating all the food :-) 

It wouldn't be the holidays if I didn't receive at least one book, my friends and family know they are one of my major passions and tend to taylor their gifts around that. So here are the books I was lucky enough to get! 

Four of these books were from the wonderful Mr.GingerSnap. He is responsible for my acquiring the whole Discworld Collectors Library. For those of you who don't know, Terry Pratchett is my favourite author of all time and I was so excited to see they had started bringing out the Discworld series in these beautiful editions. When they stopped at Jingo I was so frustrated at potentially only ever having half of the collection! Luckily the second publishing house got on board and they have been bringing out four more every year. This years round are Going Postal, Thief Of Time, Monstrous Regiment and Night Watch. 

Going Postal follows Moist Von Lipwig as he is faced with the choice of being executed as a criminal or attempting the impossible task of reviving the Ankh-Morpork post office. Needless to say he chooses the option he is most likely to survive. The story shows all his hilarious ups and downs as he brings back good old snail mail and thrives on a new and honest business. 

Nightwatch is the next book in the City Watch collection, following Sam Vimes and his never ending fight against crime in the city. Sam Vimes is the ultimate under-dog, he tries so hard and has all sorts thrown at him, from dragons, crazy wizards and talking dogs to being knighted and sent to parlay with vampires!  

Thief Of Time is the next one in the Death collection. The anthropomorphism of Death is my favourite character choice of all time, he is so sassy and such a bad-ass really. In this book Death uncovers plans to create a clock destroying time and human mortality, unable to intervene himself he sends his grand-daughter Susan to the rescue...

Monstrous Regiment is all about women's rights and how having a war in your country changes the rules and freedom of women. There is a war on in the Discworld and it's about time women stepped up to fill the gaps men usually fill, with hilarious and heart-rending results. 

H. G. Wells is one of my favourite authors and the fact that he has been included so many times in the Penguin English Library makes me very happy. I have read all of his other works so I couldn't wait to get my hands on The Invisible Man. The tale follows Griffin, a man who is searching for the antidote to invisibility and he is willing to go to ANY length to achieve this. 

Finally we have Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, well done if you made it this far through the post! I don't really know a lot about this book, but it's a Penguin Classic so it must be good! Naturally it follows Ethan Frome, a farmer struggling to make ends meet and reach the unreasonable standards set by his wife. His life changes suddenly when his wife's cousin comes to help them, obsessed with her, Ethan tries to picture a way to be happy. 

Wow, that was a longer post than I was expecting to write. I hope some of these books have piqued your interest. I certainly can't wait to dive into them! What did you guys get for Christmas? Any good books? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

Bedknobs and Broomsticks Review

Hello everyone, 

There is nothing nicer after a long day at work than settling down with a good book. For the last couple of years I have been trying to deepen my knowledge of children's classics. I find them so relaxing and soothing after a stressful day, is that silly? I did read quite a few when I was a child, but there are some I missed and some I want to re-read. One of the ones I missed was Bedknobs and Broomsticks by Mary Norton. 

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is an amalgamation of two shorter stories: The Magic Bedknob and Bonfires and Broomsticks. The stories start with Carey, Charles and Paul going to stay with their aunt in the countryside. Whilst there Paul discovers a witch and starts to watch her flying her broomstick every night through his window. One night she falls off! Paul, worried about her, alerts his older siblings and they set out to help her. This sparks a lovely friendship between the witch, Miss Price, and the children. In return for their silence she gives them a magic bedknob which allows them to travel anywhere in the present and into the past. However, all magic comes with a price and some hilarious and hair-raising adventures follow...

Rating - 5 stars! 

Positives: Charming characters, funny and whimsical plot 

Negatives: I wish there was a never ending supply of these stories to read

For lovers of: Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome, Children of the New Forest by Captain Marryat and The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis

I loved these stories and sped through them in one afternoon. At times they had me on the edge of my seat and I have since found myself wondering how Miss Price is getting on with her new life in the past! Only a truly good book can make you miss the characters after you have finished reading it. The narrative is simple, as it is aimed at younger children around 5-10 years old. However, the plot line is fast paced, with twists and turns only conceivable in children's literature. I think this is a perfect book for adults and children alike, and reading it aloud must be loads of fun :-) 

If you were wondering, this edition is from Orion Books. They have three titles so far in this collection: Ballet shoes, The Borrowers and Bedknobs and Broomsticks. This book is particularly special to me as it was a present from Mr. Gingersnap to match Ballet Shoes by Noel Streatfeild, which was the first book her ever bought me. 

Did you read this book as a child or older? Did you love it and do you have any similar recommendations? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here! 

Broken Moon by Sarah Beth Moore - Review

Hello everyone, 

I am back again today with a spoiler free review of Broken Moon by Sarah Beth Moore. Sarah approached me about her upcoming book, asking for an honest review in exchange for the ARC (advanced reader copy) of the book, but don't you guys worry, my gratitude to the author has in no way influenced my opinions on the story :-)

Broken Moon follows Naiya and her adopted brothers Pip and Enoch as they run from the guards and officials ruling their spectacularly corrupt city. Naiya has always treated the law as more of a guideline than a rule, making her living in the family business of scavenging old tech for sale to the highest bidder. Her family are her number one priority and she loves them more than anything else, which makes the suicide of her sister a most devastating blow. Just before her suicide, Amy gives Naiya a cryptic message to not trust the lies she has been told. This leaves Naiya with nothing but questions. Questions she does not have time to answer as she flees her home. Leaving the city undetected seems an impossible task and should not be delayed, but Naiya needs to answer the questions about her past, family and future. 

Rating - 4 stars! 

Positives: Good racial diversity, excellent world-building and believable characters 

Negatives: No tugging on the heart strings. Sarah I want you to make me cry next time! 

For lovers of: City Of Ember by Jeanne Du Prau, Mortal Engines by Philip Reeve, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and Divergent by Veronica Roth

This book is a fantastic blend of YA fantasy, sci-fi and dystopia, Sarah manages to seamlessly blend these three genres to create a riveting first instalment in what I'm sure will be a killer series! The idea of a tiered, industrialised city was very interesting and the description was spot on for making you feel like you were there, without tipping over into overly descriptive. I could hear the hustle and bustle, smell the grime and taste the scent of pollution as I was reading. 

It's not just the setting which felt real, the characters were highly relatable. In so many YA fantasy books the romance takes centre stage, eclipsing the whole quest story-line. I don't know about you, but someone trying to murder me would feel like a more pressing point than "ooh my crush just smiled at me, what could it possibly mean?!". Yes Naiya has a love interest, what YA protagonist doesn't, but this is background information. Her feelings are something she reflects on occasionally, never letting it over-ride her survival instinct. This felt more realistic, as did her reactions to all situations surrounding her family, rivals and strangers. However, I do think there is room for the romance to progress in the next book and I am excited about where it will lead, especially given how dreamy Enoch is! 

When it came to the narrative pace I was pleasantly surprised. Sarah never faltered in keeping the story flowing, effortlessly guiding the reader from location to location and easily introducing new characters. My one slightly negative comment is the character of Chen. I feel like she was introduced well, but without a huge purpose in the story. I would have liked to learn more about her and am hoping to do so in the next books. 

Well that's it for today, I hope you enjoyed this review and make sure to stay tuned for another post coming on Tuesday! :-) 

xoxo

P.S. Follow my Facebook here!