First Lines Friday: 21/08/2020

First Lines Fridays is a weekly feature for book lovers hosted by Wandering Words. What if instead of judging a book by its cover, its author or its prestige, we judged it by its opening lines?

  • Pick a book off your shelf (it could be your current read or on your TBR) and open to the first page
  • Copy the first few lines, but don’t give anything else about the book away just yet – you need to hook the reader first
  • Finally… reveal the book!

 

Happy Friday!

Now let’s get guessing that book.

“The Polydorus is a charming family-run hotel, located a short walk away from the lively town of Agios Nikolaos, one hour from Heraklion. Rooms cleaned daily, all with Wi-Fi and air con, some with sea views. Coffee and home-cooked meals served on our lovely terraces. Visit our website or find us on booking.com.”

 

Answer is below the cats!

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Featuring his famous literary detective Atticus Pund and Susan Ryeland, hero of the worldwide bestseller Magpie Murders, a brilliantly complex literary thriller by Anthony Horowitz. The follow-up to Magpie Murders.

Retired publisher Susan Ryeland is living the good life. She is running a small hotel on a Greek island with her longterm boyfriend Andreas. It should be everything she’s always wanted – but is it? She’s exhausted with the responsibilities of making everything work on an island where nothing ever does, and truth be told she’s beginning to miss her old life in London.

And then a couple – the Trehearnes – come to stay, and the story they tell about an unfortunate murder that took place on the same day and in the same hotel in which their daughter was married, is such a strange and mysterious one that Susan finds herself increasingly fascinated by it. And when the Trehearnes tell her that their daughter is now missing, Susan knows that she must return to London and find out what really happened …

Book Depository

Waterstones

Wordery

Drop me a link with your First Lines Friday and I will head over for a visit.

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WWW Wednesday: 19/08/2020

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

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?

 

Happy Wednesday!

What I am Currently Reading

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Still thoroughly enjoying this and very near the end now. Such a good translation.

 

What I Have Recently Finished Reading

Have literally just finished The Flat Share and loved it, review will follow shortly.

 

What I Plan to Read Next

Always a tricky question as I never have a clue but here are a few options I have on the cards.

 

Drop me a link with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books that Should be Adapted into Netflix Shows/Movies

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.

Hello!

There are so many books that I would love to see adapted into films or TV adaptations so this will be a tricky choice.

 

Watermelon Snow by William A. Liggett

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Sammantha Shannon

The Immortal City by Amy Kuivalainen

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett

Half A World Away by Mike Gayle

The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

The Voyage of the Jerle Shannara: Antrax by Terry Brooks

 

There is my choice. Please drop me a link to your Top Ten Tuesday and I will head over for a visit.

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Books I’m Excited About #3

Hello!

I love preordering books as they are such a nice surprise when they turn up on your doorstep and this year because I haven’t been able to visit many bookshops I’ve mainly been preordering all my books.

So here are a few of the books I am excited about…

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A brand new collection of short stories from the incredible Sir Terry Pratchett. This deluxe collector’s edition comes in a beautiful slipcase, and includes an extra short story (the brilliant tale of The Bed Scratcher!), an exclusive colour print . . . and an unique number assigned to your book!!

Imagination is an amazing thing.

It can take you to the top of the highest mountain, or down to the bottom of the deepest depths of the sea.

This is where it took Doggins on his Awfully Big Adventure: a quest full of magic and flying machines. (And the world’s best joke – trust me, it’s hilarious.)

It took three young inventors to the moon (where they may or may not have left a bottle of lemonade) and a caveman on a trip to the dentist.

You can join them on these adventures, and many more, in this incredible collection of stories . . .

From the greatest imagination there ever was.

Written for local newspapers when Terry Pratchett was a young lad, these never previously published stories are packed full of anarchic humour and wonderful wit.

I am so excited about this – anything Terry Pratchett and I must read it.

 

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The eagerly awaited sequel to the cult classic Ready Player One, Cline’s bravura mash-up of high-octane gaming adventure and 1980s pop culture rides again in the electrifying Ready Player Two. Fizzing with wit and invention, this is big-hearted, big concept science fiction built to last.

 

Absolutely loved book one and I am so pleased there is going to be a sequel. I just hope I am not going to be disappointed.

 

 

 

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Lyra Silvertongue and her daemon Pantalaimon have left the events of His Dark Materials behind. Here in this snapshot of their forever-changed lives they return to the North to revisit an old friend where we will learn that things are not exactly as they seem.

I will be honest this is actually for my husband as I’ve never really got on with Philip Pullman but I might give this one a try.

 

 

 

 

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The Ickabog is coming… A mythical monster, a kingdom in peril, an adventure that will test two children’s bravery to the limit. Discover a brilliantly original fairy tale about the power of hope and friendship to triumph against all odds, from one of the world’s best storytellers.

The kingdom of Cornucopia was once the happiest in the world. It had plenty of gold, a king with the finest moustaches you could possibly imagine, and butchers, bakers and cheesemongers whose exquisite foods made a person dance with delight when they ate them.

Everything was perfect – except for the misty Marshlands to the north which, according to legend, were home to the monstrous Ickabog. Anyone sensible knew that the Ickabog was just a myth, to scare children into behaving. But the funny thing about myths is that sometimes they take on a life of their own.

Could a myth unseat a beloved king? Could a myth bring a once happy country to its knees? Could a myth thrust two children into an adventure they didn’t ask for and never expected?

If you’re feeling brave, step into the pages of this book to find out…

This was preordered as soon as I heard about it and I can’t wait to read it.

 

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Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a desperate, last-chance mission–and if he fails, humanity and the earth itself will perish.

Except that right now, he doesn’t know that. He can’t even remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment or how to complete it.

All he knows is that he’s been asleep for a very, very long time. And he’s just been awakened to find himself millions of miles from home, with nothing but two corpses for company.

His crewmates dead, his memories fuzzily returning, he realizes that an impossible task now confronts him. Alone on this tiny ship that’s been cobbled together by every government and space agency on the planet and hurled into the depths of space, it’s up to him to conquer an extinction-level threat to our species.

And thanks to an unexpected ally, he just might have a chance.

I loved The Martian and adored Weir’s style of writing so even though this isn’t out till next year I had to preorder it so I will get it the day it comes out.

So there is my list of books that I simply can’t wait to get ahold of. Are there any books that you are excited about? Please drop me a comment for a bookish chat.

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The Weekly Brief

Hello!

Another week is over and we are halfway through August already!

Posts this Week

Currently Reading

Books Acquired

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Blogs I’ve Enjoyed Reading This Week

First up is Evelyn, who writes about all things books on her blog evelynreads. Evelyn does some fantastic reviews on her blog.

Another one of my favourite blogs and one that I have followed from when I first started blogging is Sara at The Bibliophagist. Sara reviews young adult, new adult and romance.

 

So that is my week!

Happy Reading.

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Too Good To Be True by Ann Cleeves (Review)

Too Good To Be True by Ann Cleeves

About the author

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Ann Cleeves was born in 1954 and is an English crime writer. She has won the Duncan Lawrie Dagger and her Vera and Jimmy Perez novels have been dramatised as TV detective series. She currently resides in Whitley Bay.

Blurb

Too Good To Be True is a gripping Quick Read from Ann Cleeves, featuring Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez from the bestselling Shetland series.

When young teacher Anna Blackwell is found dead in her home, the police think her death was suicide or a tragic accident. After all, Stonebridge is a quiet country village in the Scottish Borders, where murders just don’t happen.

But Detective Inspector Jimmy Perez soon arrives from far-away Shetland when his ex-wife, Sarah, asks him to look into the case. The local gossips are saying that her new husband, Tom, was having an affair with Anna. Could Tom have been involved with her death? Sarah refuses to believe it – but needs proof.

Anna had been a teacher. She must have loved kids. Would she kill herself knowing there was nobody to look after her daughter? She had seemed happier than ever before she died. And to Perez, this suggests not suicide, but murder . . .

Review

I love the Quick Reads books and have discovered quite a few authors that I enjoy from reading books from this series and this book is no exception. My parents are massive Ann Cleeves fans but I will be honest I have never read any of her books but looking for a short read for the weekend I came across this book and promptly began reading.

Although this is only a short book and I easily read it in one setting I really liked the character of Jimmy Perez and would love to read more books about this character. He worked out the case brilliantly even though the policeman who was in charge of the case missed some pretty obvious things and really should have had his wrists slapped for his sloppy policing and just jumping to the easiest conclusion. Perez is obviously a deeply caring person who will do anything for family and that was really moving to read about even if it was only hinted at.

The story contains the question of was it a suicide or a murder and Perez is left to work it out but as he is trying to unravel the mystery there is a sinister figure that is clearly watching him.

This story had everything: mystery, suspense, crime and much more. I loved this book and will definitely be reading more by Ann Cleeves, hopefully the parents will allow me to borrow some of their copies. A fantastic short read that I read in one sitting and I highly recommend to all crime fiction fans. I give this book 4 out of 5 Dragons.

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WWW Wednesday: 12/08/2020

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

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?

 

Another Wednesday is here and I am really into my reading groove. Here is what I have been up to this week.

What I am Currently Reading

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I am just reading this at the moment and I am loving it so far. The translation is a joy to read and the introduction by Wilson is possibly the best introduction I have ever read to a book. I have not stopped telling people about this book. Plus it is so unbelievably tactile, the pages are cut like real parchment and are thick and just amazing. Yes I know I am weird but I’m sure I’m not the only one who finds certain books wonderfully tactile, am I?

What I have Recently Finished Reading

Finished these two last week. I enjoyed The Postscript Murders but the story was just a bit ridiculous for me and certain characters annoyed me. The Summer of Madness was wonderful though and I really enjoyed it. (click the titles to go to the reviews).

What I will Read Next

The honest answer to this is I have no idea! I have so many books I want to read on my TBR pile that I just don’t know what to choose. But here are some possibles anyway.

So there is another WWW Wednesday done and dusted. Please drop me a link with your WWW Wednesday and I will head over for a visit. Please also feel free to chat about the books, I love talking all things books.

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Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Loved But Never Reviewed

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!

The subject this week is easy for me as before the blog I rarely reviewed books so there are loads that I have never reviewed. I’ve talked people’s heads off about books I’ve loved but not written it down. So here are the ten I have chosen…

Silas Marner by George Eliot

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Lord of Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Agnes Grey by Anne Bronte

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter

Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

So that is another Top Ten Tuesday complete. Please drop me a comment with your thoughts on the books or your Top Ten Tuesday and I will head over for a visit.

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The Summer of Madness by Alexander Raphael (Review)

The Summer of Madness by Alexander Raphael

About the author

Alexander Raphael was born and bred in London, though as he is half-Mexican grew up with an awareness and understanding of other cultures from a young age.

He’s always been a big fan of short stories in particular.

Blurb

In the summer of love, or rather of madness, a whole set of stories are emerging. But there is one that has got everyone talking. When Kurt decides to win back his ex-girlfriend with the help of a literary classic, he sets off a string of events that will build to a dramatic finale.

Review

I spotted this story on Hayley’s blog Rather Too Fond of Books and was very intrigued so I downloaded it straight to my Kindle for a weekend read as I do enjoy a short story.

At only 27 pages I read this in one sitting and absolutely loved it. This short story is about a man who has taken his girlfriend for granted and has now lost her and he is doing everything in his power to get her back. After everything else has failed he has one final go to win her back with a grand gesture.

This short story is beautifully written and was a joy to read. I adored the use of Wuthering Heights in the book as it is one of my all time favourite books. The plot was really clever and unlike anything I have read before. I really liked the character Judy and was really hoping she would get her dream come true.

The ending of this book left me smiling from ear to ear and thoroughly pleased that I had read the book. I highly recommend this short story to everyone, it will take less than half an hour to read and was a true page turner. I give this short story 5 out of 5 Dragons.

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The Weekly Brief

Hello and Welcome to all my new followers!

We have come to the end of another week so that can only mean one thing, it is time for another Weekly Brief.

Posts this Week

 

Currently Reading

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Books Acquired

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Blogs I have enjoyed reading this week

The first blog I always love reading and is in fact the first book blog I ever started following is by the wonderful Hayley at Rather Too Fond of BooksI always love Hayley’s book reviews and book posts but it invariably ends up with me buying more books. Not that I am complaining.

The next blog I have enjoyed this week and always do is my fellow Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan Flora. Flora’s favourite genre is adult Paranormal Romance. You can find Flora’s fantastic blog over at Flora’s Musings.

The final blog that I have thoroughly enjoyed this week is HappymessHappinessI really enjoy the Six Word Stories and the quotes from this blog. They always make me smile.

 

So that is my week! I hope everyone else has had a good week.

Happy Reading my fellow Book Dragons.

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