I haven’t done a festive book tag this year and have seen this one around and thought I would have a go. Please feel free to join in and drop me a comment if you have taken part as I would love to see your answers.
“All I Want For Christmas Is You…” | What book do you want to see under the Christmas Tree?
This is a tricky one because I have a lot of books that I would like to see under the Christmas tree. The one I will choose is The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. I know it is a trilogy but it is what I want under the tree. I love Hobb and I will be honest it has been a long time since I have read any Hobb but the Folio Society edition of the trilogy looks beautiful.
“Simply Having A Wonderful Christmas Time…” | What book that you have read this year have you enjoyed the most?
I’ve read so many good books this year! My favourite must be The Existence of Amy by Lana Grace Riva, this book really made me think and I thought it was brilliantly well written.
“It’s Beginning to look a lot like Christmas…” | Which book has most festive look to it?
I have read a lot of festive reads so far this December but I think the most festive I have read so far has got to be Christmas at Highclere by The Countess of Carnarvon. This put me in a really festive mood and I just could not put it down.
Elf | What book unleashes your inner child?
Easy! Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. I love this book it makes me think of Christmas and magic and just all sorts of wonderful things. I have recently read the illustrated version and that made me unleash my inner child even more.
The Grinch | Your favorite villain…
My favourite literary villain is definitely Bellatrix Lestrange. Yes, she is evil and completely mad but I think she is great and I always enjoy reading her scenes in the books. I also thinks Helena Bonham Carter portrays her perfectly in the films.
The Holiday | Name your favorite TWO couples…
I know it is probably a really common answer but Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet are my number one favourite couple closely followed by Sam Vimes and Lady Sybil Vimes. Sam and Sybil just work perfectly together and their relationship always makes me giggle.
What book would you like to give as a present to your followers?
Another tricky question, so I think I would like to give my followers a copy of my favourite book/trilogy. The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R Tolkien but would be my gift to you all.
I thought it was time for a Christmas reading list update. I am really racing through my Christmas books and I am thoroughly enjoying them and I have also added some extra ones into the mix as well.
I am currently reading Midwinter Murders by Agatha Christie and Christmas at Highclere by The Countess of Carnarvon.
Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights by Carole Matthews
So the Christmas books I have left over are…
The Christmas reading is going really well and I can’t quite believe how quickly I am finishing books at the moment. Christmas at Highclere wasn’t originally on the reading list but I started browsing through it yesterday and I just got hooked.
Please drop me a comment with your Christmas reads as I would love to see what everyone is reading or planning to read over the festive period.
The rules are answer the questions below and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.
What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you will read next?
Hello!
I can’t believe we are back to Wednesday again, time seem to be flying by at the moment. I hope this post finds you all well and not to stressed as the festive season approaches.
So here is what I have been up to with my reading.
What I am Currently Reading
Literally just started it so not much to say so far.
What I have Recently Finished Reading
Just finished Christmas Cakes and Mistletoe Nights yesterday and couldn’t put it down, review will follow shortly.
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish and now hosted by Jana at That Artsy Reader Girl. For more info please check out Jana’s blog.
Happy Tuesday!
I have so many books on my TBR list but I will try and select ten books that I think I will read over the winter. I like to read a Jane Austen novel over the New Year and into January so that is one easy choice.
Here are my ten books…
Things in Jars by Jess Kidd – This is one of my Willoughby Book Club books that I am very excited to read.
Dissolution by C. J. Sansom – This is my buddy read with my bestie that I will be starting on the 1st of January
The House on Vesper Sands by Paraie O’Donnell – Another Willoughby Book Club read
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline – My husband is currently reading this so I hope to read it in January once I have finished all my Christmas reading.
Katheryn Howard: The Tainted Queen by Alison Weir – Been on my TBR for way too long and really want to read it soon.
Lady Susan by Jane Austen – I have never actually read this so I think it is high time I sorted it.
Five Feet Apart by Rachael Lippincott, Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Iaconis – I just think this will be a good cosy read for the winter.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie – The start of reading more Agatha Christie challenge
Olive, Mabel and Me by Andrew Cotter – I can’t wait to read this as I love the videos on youtube.
Star Trek Discovery: Die Standing by John Jackson Miller – Another book that has been sat on my TBR for way too long.
So there is my TTT. Please drop me a link with your TTT and I will head over for a visit.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J. K. Rowling
Blurb
When a letter arrives for unhappy but ordinary Harry Potter, a decade-old secret is revealed to him that apparently he’s the last to know. His parents were wizards, killed by a Dark Lord’s curse when Harry was just a baby, and which he somehow survived. Leaving his unsympathetic aunt and uncle for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Harry stumbles upon a sinister mystery when he finds a three-headed dog guarding a room on the third floor. Then he hears of a missing stone with astonishing powers, which could be valuable, dangerous — or both. An incredible adventure is about to begin!
Review
I love the Harry Potter books and I have read them many times over but what I have always wanted to own and read is the illustrated editions by Jim Kay and finally I own the first one after my best friend bought it me for my birthday. I saved it for my December reading as I always associate the Philosopher’s Stone with Christmas for some reason.
It has been a few years since I read the first books in the series but I will be honest that it was wonderful to be back in the wizarding world again with some of my favourite literary characters that I have grown up with. It was so good to meet Dumbledore again as he is by far superior in the book to the films and he is such a funny and eccentric character in the book.
So, as you can tell I love the book and I bet most people are familiar with the Harry Potter books so I will just say reading it with the illustrations is fantastic and the only way I want to read the Harry Potter books from now on. The illustrations are stunning in this book and so well-chosen for the story, they really add to the story. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons and highly recommend it to all Potter fans.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
About the author
Joanne Rowling born 31 July 1965, is a British writer and philanthropist. She is best known for writing the Harry Potter series. Rowling also writes crime fiction under the pen name Robert Galbraith.
Christmas is Murder: A Chilling Short Story Collection by Val McDermid
Blurb
The Queen of Crime Val McDermid is a master of the dark and sinister story, and these powers are demonstrated in full force in Christmas is Murder, a festive collection of chilling tales.
From an irresponsible baron whose body is discovered beneath a silver birch tree, to an author who is haunted by the spiteful presence of a jealous writing partner, the characters McDermid conjures are enigmatic and dangerous, never above suspicion.
Follow Tony Hill and Carol Jordan as they track a deadly killer who is preparing to strike on Christmas Day, and lose yourself in a festive exclusive – a recently unearthed case for a classic detective duo, set as the lights are going out across Europe.
These evocative, atmospheric tales will shock and delight. This is the perfect book to curl up with as the frosty winter draws in and each night gets darker than the last, written by one of our greatest living crime writers.
Review
I was so excited to see this book and immediately ordered it off Waterstones. I love a good Christmas murder mystery but sadly I was rather disappointed with this book.
The first thing I really disliked was the fact that a lot of these short stories seemed like they should have been longer but that McDermid had just removed chunks of the story to make it shorter. They jumped around too much and there was no development which even in a short story should be present.
The second thing that got on my nerves was the fact that some of the stories basically had nothing to do with Christmas and even if they did the link was tenuous at best. For a Christmas murder mystery book this was a disappointment for me.
I did however like some of the stories, my favourite was The Girl who Killed Santa Claus. This story was wonderful and a really good short story and was a welcome change from the rest of the short stories.
I am afraid I have only given 2 out of 5 Dragons to this book and I will be honest and say that I will not be reading another Val McDermid book as I just did not enjoy her writing.
(All purchases made using one of the above affiliate links gives a small percentage of money to myself with no extra cost to yourself. All proceeds go towards the upkeep of this blog. Thank you ever so much, your support is gratefully received.)
About the author
Val McDermid is a No. 1 bestseller whose novels have been translated into more than thirty languages, and have sold over eleven million copies.
She has won many awards internationally, including the CWA Gold Dagger for best crime novel of the year and the LA Times Book of the Year Award. She was inducted into the ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards Hall of Fame in 2009 and was the recipient of the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger for 2010. In 2011 she received the Lambda Literary Foundation Pioneer Award.
She writes full time and divides her time between Cheshire and Edinburgh.
I hope everyone has had a good weekend so far. I had a lovely morning playing the organ for a church service and I got to play a few Christmas songs as well. It was very cold but it was so nice to have a bit of normality back.
Anyway, here is what I have been up to in the blog world.
Lady Book Dragon 