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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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November Book Haul

Hello everyone! 

How is everyone doing? Not getting too frozen in the cold weather I hope :-) I'm back today with a little, okay maybe fairly big, book haul. I love going book shopping, to be honest even if I'm just browsing I love it! For me books are the ideal winter hobby, you can curl up with a blanket, a hot drink and enjoy a good story. It's complete heaven! 

At the moment I have been really into classics, something about winter and the back to school vibe always makes me want to read them. Also the Penguin Clothbound Classics are simply divine! They are seriously not helping my bank account or my rapidly diminishing shelf space. As you will no doubt have seen from the photo, I treated myself to a trio of these...

I just love the covers of these books, Coralie Bickford-Smith designs the most beautiful artwork. I think this collection is a triumph, and I am now the proud owner of four of them. Hopefully with more appearing on my shelves in the future! Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert is decorated in pink and purple pomegranate patterns, these colours and the fruit of passion perfectly portray the very passionate nature of the heroine of the story. I'm hoping the red and orange fiery colours of Lady Chatterly's Lover by D. H. Lawrence mean the story will also be fiery. In its day it was considered quite the scandalous tale, so I'm quite looking forward to comparing it to modern times. Now when it comes to Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, the cover speaks volumes (anyone like the bookish pun? No? Okay...). The anatomically correct hearts on the front give it such a dark edge and lead perfectly into the dark sciences the story is based on. 

The next book was a second hand bookstore find, which I'm actually really pleased about. This is one of the original hardback designs of the Discworld stories by Terry Pratchett. The Last Continent is one of the editions missing from my best friend's collection so I'm super excited to give it to her for Christmas :-) 

Finally, leaving the best to last really, is The Original Screenplay of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them by J. K. Rowling! I have been beyond excited about reading this since it was first announced. So yes I bought it yesterday and have already read it, I make no apologies for this! The design of this book is gorgeous, so I thought I'd give you a little sneak peak before I write a proper review later this week! 

Have you read any of these? Let me know what you've been hauling in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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The Rook by Daniel O'Malley - Review

Hello everyone! 

It's been a while hasn't it? I'm really sorry about that, time management has gone out the window a little, but I'm back now and will be making a Herculean effort to keep you guys in the loop! To kick things off again let's do a quick book review :-) 

The Rook by Daniel O'Malley has been on my tbr for so long! My best friend bought it for me over a year ago after having sped through it, then my Mam read it and loved it, yet it still stayed on my tbr pile. I just wasn't massively intrigued by the cover or the story. Silly right? Especially when it does have all the makings of a fantastic story! 

Set in London, this story follows Myfanwy Thomas, or rather the woman inhabiting her body, as she navigates an incredibly complicated life. Being in charge of the admin for magical MI5, the elusive Checquey, is hard enough, without the mysterious gloved strangers trying to assassinate her at every turn and no memory of her previous life to guide her. Myfanwy must rapidly overcome her amnesia or adapt and flawlessly impersonate herself if she has any hope of survival. However, these are all small concerns! Myfanwy isn't the only one at risk, the whole world is under threat. There is a traitor in the Checquey and it's up to Myfanwy to stop them. 

This world is filled with magic and intrigue, it's complicated low level fantasy at its best! When I first picked up this book I found it quite hard to get into, it took me committing to the first 300 pages before I fully invested in the story. I think I had built up a mental block to it really, once I was into it properly I couldn't put it down! The pace of the story feels a little slow at first and it is quite convoluted, meaning it does require a lot of attention to follow, but I promise it is worth it! Towards the end I started to appreciate the slower beginning, it gave me time to comprehend the story and the world it is set in. 

I would recommend this book if you are a lover of Harry Potter or the Cassandra Clare books. Fantasy stories in our world are so accessible if you're a newbie to this genre :-) I would give this 3.5 stars! 

Have you read this? Let me know what you thought in the comments below and keep your eyes peeled for the sequel Stiletto, I know I will :-) 

xoxo

August Reading Wrap Up

Hello everyone! 

Sorry in advance, but this will be a long post. What can I say? I read a lot of books this month! In spite of the sunnier weather and fewer opportunities to get cosy I always seem to read more in the summer months. Although this August seems to have been a much busier book month. To keep things short I will link to previous reviews of some of the books :-) 

Nights At The Circus by Angela Carter: 2.5 Stars 

I seriously struggled with this book, yes it is a classic and kind of a big deal, but I really found it heavy going. It had all the makings of a great story: love, intrigue, magic and the circus. However, I found the excessively crude language and long descriptive passages a bit wearing. I started to get really in to the story of Fevvers, the glittering star of the entertainment world, as she mystified her audiences as to whether she is woman or swan, but then the story started getting very twisted and non-sensical. I believe it was an attempt at surrealism, but it didn't really work for me. I think other surrealist authors have spoiled me with their amazing narrative. 

After You by Jojo Moyes: 4.5 Stars 

I loved this book, although I was very nervous to pick it up. After the explosion that was Me Before You, I was scared to have my heart broken all over again. After You follows beloved Lou Clark in the aftermath of Will's death. She is struggling again in her job and personal life, when out of nowhere a young girl claiming to be Will's illegitimate daughter canons into her life. Lou now has to pick up the pieces and learn to be strong for those who need her most. This story was almost a redemption for the heart breaking first novel, it was light and funny, bordering on the farcical at times! However, this simply added to the charm of the story and showed that light can be found in the most unexpected of places. 

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George: 4.5 Stars 

This wonderful book is one which I have recently reviewed, so you can check that out here! I found this story charming, heart wrenching and faith restoring all in one. I have not read a book which touched me in the same way for many years! Jean Perdu goes on a quest for love lost, finding friendship, truths and true happiness along the way. He is the realest protagonist I have ever read, his journey down the rivers of France from Paris to Provence was awe-inspiring and at times had me in stitches :-) 

The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins: 3.5 Stars 

This much read and discussed thriller has also recently been reviewed so have a little mosey over if you are interested, here. Rachel, Anna and Megan lead very different lives, crossing paths and mingling, they become tangled up in a murderous story. Rachel, still reeling from Anna "stealing" her husband watches from afar on her daily train. When Megan, Anna's neighbour, disappears Rachel is drawn inexorably onto a twisted and dangerous path. I enjoyed this reading experience, the narrative is original and engaging, but I did guess the ending very early on! 

After Alice by Gregory Maguire: 4 Stars 

From the author of Wicked comes a fabulous retelling of Alice In Wonderland. After Alice addresses what happened on the fateful day of Alice tumbling down the rabbit hole. Nobody ever wonders if she was missed by the people she left behind! Her friend Ada witnesses her tumble and decides on a whim to follow her and bring her back, but Ada is different to Alice. This makes her experience of Wonderland vastly different to Alice's! This story flits between Ada's escapades below ground and those of the family left at home, frantically searching for Alice and her young friend. This story was witty and fun, it followed the same narrative style as the original story, making it quite a natural companion story. I would say this is a must read for any Alice fan! 

Red Queen by Christina Henry: 4 Stars 

In keeping with the Alice In Wonderland retellings, Red Queen is the sequel to Alice, which I read at the end of last month. I was very excited about this sequel and almost read the pair back to back. Red Queen follows Alice and Hatcher as they escape the city in search of his daughter Jenny. Little do they know they have passed from frying pan to fire. Outside of the magicians from the city's grasp they have wandered into the White Queen's territory. When Hatcher is taken, Alice must use all her ingenuity and all the help she can get in her quest to free her lover. Christina Henry has put a spell on me with these stories, they are my absolute favourite retellings. Deliciously dark and full of wonder, I would recommend this to any fantasy lover. 

Small Gods by Terry Pratchett: 4.5 Stars 

As a lighter read I decided to peruse Terry Pratchett's newly released illustrated edition of Small Gods. I adored this story the first time I read it and found it surprisingly improved for being a graphic novel! Small Gods tells the tale of Brutha, the new prophet to the Great God Om, in a world where the idea of religion has overtaken even the religious principles and beliefs themselves! This story is clever and thought-provoking, whilst somehow remaining light and hilarious. 

The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop: 3 Stars 

The Sunrise is the glittering jewel of Cyprus' hotel industry, tourists from all over the world flock to revel in its opulence. This story follows the lives of three families connected to the Sunrise in vastly different ways throughout the civil war of Cyprus, between the greek and turkish Cypriots, the fall of Famagusta and the devastation of the country. It is almost a historical fiction, it is very hard hitting and made me feel so sad. I think we should all read harder books some times, just to remind ourselves of what can happen when we forget the mistakes of the past. 

Down And Out In Paris And London by George Orwell: 3 Stars 

George Orwell writes of poverty and the lives of the miserable across Paris and London in this meditative work. I found this to be an enjoyable read and at times quite funny. I liked how it gave such a real account of what life can be like in a major city if you are unfortunate enough to find yourself without work or money. This is a speedy read, there is no excuse not to pick it up one afternoon and read it! 

Sourcery by Terry Pratchett: 4 Stars 

We all know wizards are born of the eighth son of a eighth son, well what happens when a wizard has an eighth son? A sourcerer is born, made to wreak havoc and devastation across the whole of the Disc! Never fear, Rincewind and his trusty luggage return in this Discworld novel to attempt primarily to avoid danger and maybe save the world in the process. This was yet again a witty and original book, I always love a good Discworld novel and this is one of my favourites so far! I particularly loved Pratchett's take on the harems, this time with women employed to tell stories to their master, Sheherazade style! 

A Year Of Marvellous Ways by Sarah Winman: 3.5 Stars 

This tale is so life affirming! I loved it, Marvellous is such an inspirational character. Well into her nineties she is still carrying on her life as normal, waiting for the "something" Paper Jack told her of in a dream. The "something" appears in the form of Drake, a man wounded emotionally by war and the loss of the woman he loves. He needs to heal and Marvellous is the just the woman to show him how. This heartwarming tale teaches you to live and love simply, it breeds happiness and contentment. 

What have you been reading this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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Jojo Moyes - Breaking Hearts All Over The World

Hello everyone! 

Have you ever read a book so touching it breaks your heart so completely that you can't bear to reread the book? Well I have, Me Before You by Jojo Moyes broke my heart a few years ago when it first came out. Recently I have been collaborating with Catherine over at Badass Vampire Blog to create some book reviews for you guys. We decided to recommend a book to each other and then write a review!

I don't have a physical copy of Me Before You, but I will be writing a review of After You soon so stay tuned :-) 

Me Before You follows Lou Clark as she flounders through life, eventually taking a job as a carer for Will Traynor. After his motorcycle accident, he is left paralysed and hating life. When Lou enters his life she brings a ray of sunshine and they slowly, but surely, fall in love. However, sometimes you have to love someone enough to let them go. Lou is in turmoil, fighting to save the man she loves from himself. Her conscience and her heart need to battle it out before she can decide what is the right thing to do.

Love has many facets and this book shows them all. Sometimes you may not love for a long time, but you still love deeply. This story shows all who read it how important love is and how it can change your life and your choices. I loved every page of this book and it still has me in its thrall. Enchanting and heartbreaking all at once, I think everyone should read this book. 

Catherine recommended this book to me because of how thoroughly beautiful she found the reading experience to be. Now, she says she isn't really a fan of romance novels so wasn't expecting to love this book, she thought it would just be a general good read. However, it melted her self proclaimed cold heart with it's stunning narrative. It changed her view of the world, and romance novels for that matter. She found that it made her think more deeply about life and her dreams, it is an inspiring read! If Catherine had to describe it in one word she would say: Wonderful :-) 

Have you read this? Let me know what you thought in the comments below :-) Be sure to check out Catherine's post here where she'll be talking about City of Bones by Cassandra Clare! 

xoxo

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The Girl On The Train Review

Hello everyone! 

Recently I have been seriously flexing my reading muscles and getting into a lot of books. Last week alone I read 8 books! Yep, that's a crazy number of books. I think this month's reading wrap up may have to be done in two parts. One of the most well known books of those I read was The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins :-) 

The Girl On The Train caused quite the literary storm when it first hit the shelves, selling record numbers of copies throughout the world and quickly signing up for the making of a movie. People were calling it the thriller of the year and even now the hype hasn't died down! I put it off for quite a while as I didn't want various reviews and the extreme hype to colour my reading of it, so I finally got around to it last week. 

First I have to say it is a very unique book, following three different female voices at various points in time. It starts out the same way as many other thrillers with the disappearance and subsequent location of a woman's corpse. The unique aspect to this story is that the main narrator Rachel, aka the girl on the train, is a drunk. Any opinions or memories she gives are unreliable and cloudy. Megan is another unreliable narrator, she suffers from quite a few mental health issues and seems to have a very shady past. The final narrator, Anna, could be deemed unreliable too in that she is half paranoid and feels harassed by Rachel "stalking" herself and her husband. I love an unreliable narrator, it leaves you guessing throughout the entire story. 

Rachel used to have it all: the husband, the house, the great job in London and then she started drinking. Fast forward a few years and she is living with an old university friend, faking going into work by getting the same train everyday and constantly harassing her ex-husband with his new wife Anna and their baby. As Rachel gets her train she goes past her old house every day, she also passes their neighbours whose lives she loves to fantasise about. Those lives are far from the perfect they seem and when Megan disappears Rachel is pulled into a murder investigation. How do we as readers know it wasn't her acting out of jealousy? How can she know that? As she goes deeper into hot water her life unravels, as does the life of Anna. 

This book is more than just a murder mystery, it is also an incredibly in depth psychological thriller. I really enjoyed reading it, although I guessed the ending much earlier on than I thought I would, carrying on reading to find out if I was right. Maybe I have read too many thrillers? That aside, it is a fast paced and gripping novel. I think it will translate so well to cinema and will continue to enthral audiences. I would give this 3.5 stars, purely because I guessed the ending, but still enjoyed going to the finish. 

Have you read this? Let me know what you thought in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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The Little Paris Bookshop

Hello everyone, 

Have you ever started reading a book with a firm expectation of the storyline only to discover you are reading an entirely different book? Or have you ever been so saddened and yet uplifted by a book that you have cried for whole sections at a time? I have, when I read The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George. 

The synopsis of this book paints the story as something light hearted and fun, a typical romantic comedy, which is why my Mam suggested I read it even though she hadn't yet read it herself. In actuality this book is warm and funny yet tinged with a very real sadness. 

The Little Paris Bookshop follows a rather eccentric bookwork with the memorable name of Jean Perdu. Jean Perdu has in fact lost himself, he lost his soul to a woman and his grief at her departure two decades ago. Since then he has been healing all he meets by prescribing books from his book barge The Literary Apothecary. Jean ardently believes all ailments of the heart and soul can be cured with the right book if only the mind is open to healing. His floating shop is found on the idyllic banks of the Seine in Paris, well loved and well known he seems to lead a charmed life. He isn't fooling anyone. His neighbours, friends and family can all see him struggling, but it takes the entry of the enigmatic Catherine for him to start to confront his past. Taking a young writer with him and picking up several strays along the way he sets sail across France, seeking the South and solace for his grief. 

George's writing style is incredibly powerful and compelling. I was spellbound by this book from page one and fell in love with Jean Perdu and all his flawed humanity. This book is about loves lost and found, the forging of friendships and fate foretold in the stars. Jean's grief is so real and relatable that entire sections of the book moved me to tears, he is such a real and human protagonist. I would recommend this book to any lovers of stories, to all the people who value books as old friends this story will stay with you for a long time. 

Have you read this book? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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July Reading Wrap Up

Hello everyone,

Last month wasn't too busy on the reading front really, I didn't have much time to read a lot! I think I read more books at the beginning of the month than anything else. Some of the books I have already done a full review for, so I'll link those in as I go along :-) 

Sorry about the poor lighting and photo quality, a grey day makes photo taking tricky! 

City of Bones and City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare: 4 Stars 

These are the first two books in the Mortal Instruments series. I watched the movie, then I watched the TV show "Shadowhunters" and I was completely hooked. I could not get enough of these characters, so naturally I dived straight into the books. They follow Clary Fray as she very dramatically follows her destiny. She starts out like any other girl really, she's arty, close to her Mom and loves nothing more than listening to music with her best friend Simon. Sounds like any other teen romance right? Wrong! All of sudden she's in a club called Pandemonium trying to fight off a demon nobody else can see. She is plunged into a world of shadows, magic, demons and darkness. Her angel blood can't be suppressed and her need to learn more about it is impossible to resist. Her new friend Jace is equally difficult to resist, strong with sparking blue eyes and white blond hair, his strength is what draws her in, but something darker lies underneath. I loved these books and am currently waiting to read the next ones! Although if I'm honest I'm now reading them only for Alec Lightwood and Magnus Bane...

Jingo by Terry Pratchett: 4.5 Stars 

Terry Pratchett is actually my favourite author, so I have read many of his books. This was one of the few that I hadn't yet got around to. It's part of the City Watch mini-series within the Discworld series and is so funny I was laughing loudly on the train. Laughing alone in a public place is quite embarrassing, but is worth it for a truly good book. I love all the characters in this book, they feel like old friends at this point. Carrot is frustratingly chivalrous, but lovable for his overwhelming sense of right and wrong. Sam Vimes is overworked and stressed, but such a true to his roots policeman. The job, his personal mania, comes before all else and this makes him such a relatable personality. I love the easy humour of Nobby Nobbs and Fred Colon, their double act never fails to make me laugh. Then there is Angua the werewolf and Cheery the very feminine dwarf. The puns are endless in this book! As usual they are fighting crimes and magic in the most unusual ways, crossing continents and even cross-dressing in their quest for justice. This is a must read for any fantasy fan! 

Alice by Christina Henry: 5 Stars 

I think this is my favourite read of July. This dark re-telling of Alice in Wonderland sees Alice locked away in a mental institution, with only a mad axe-murderer named Hatcher for company. She has just about accepted her life as a prisoner when a mysterious fire allows herself and Hatcher to escape. Thus beginning their bloody journey across the Old City, searching for a way to imprison the dangerous dark magician known as the Jabberwocky. Their journey will take them deep into the heart of the Old City, where an old "friend" of Alice eagerly awaits her. The Rabbit...

This book made me shiver with fear and dark delight, it was such a wonderfully novel take on a timeless story. If you are into thrillers or dark fantasy then this must be read! I'll be putting up a full review of this one and the sequel Red Queen next week so keep your eyes peeled :-) 

South of the Border, West of the Sun by Haruki Murakami: 3.5 Stars 

I won't batter on about this one too much as I already did a full review which you can check out here. This story is a journey through Hajime's life as he pines for his first love. When he finds her again more than 20 years later he needs to decide what he wants out of life. His wife is loving, pretty and kind. His first love is mysterious, beautiful and has a darkness about her which sucks at his soul. I love books like this with a moral dilemma, it's the age old tale of following your heart and learning about what you want versus what you really need. 

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling: 5 Stars 

This is another one that I have already reviewed. I feel like there was such a huge hype around this book that it made me worry that I would overestimate it. Thankfully, I was wrong to be worried. This story was just as fantastic as any other J.K. book. The fact that it was a script made it different, but in a really good way. It flowed beautifully and spun the wizarding world into being in exactly the way I had hoped. Anybody who hasn't read this yet needs to get on and read it! Click the little link to have a read of my first impressions and a little spoiler free review :-) 

What have you guys read this month? Let me know in the comments below :-) 

xoxo

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