Today I met up with a friend in Cheltenham and got to tick off number 14 off my Waterstones Challenge. My poor challenge has been rather forgotten about because of covid putting a halt to travelling etc but now I am ready to get ticking off a few more Waterstones stores.
I loved the Cheltenham store, it has three floors and the Science Fiction and Fantasy section was fantastic. I also had a question about a book and the staff were so helpful it was brilliant.
I know you are wondering what books I bought, so here is the list.
Quick Reads
Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins
The Cutting Season by M. W. Craven
Darkness Rising by A. A. Dhand
Witness by Alex Whittle
My husband was overjoyed to see these books because they were only £1 each. He said I could have as many as I wanted but sadly there were only four there. I love the Quick Reads books because I find them great introductions to authors I have never read before.
Books
Witherward by Hannah Mathewson
This is my husbands choice but I hope to read it as well as it looks interesting.
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
This was recommended to me by my niece so I thought I would give it a try.
The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
This was recommended to me by a member of my family but I can’t remember who. Either way I’m looking forward to reading it as I love a sci-fi read.
Gallant by V. E. Schwab
I bought this purely because I have seen a lot of people reading and talking about it on Bookstagram.
So there is my book haul. I can’t wait to get reading these books.
Please drop me a comment if you have read any of these books or if you have a favourite Waterstones store.
Happy Reading.
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Wilkie Collins is rightly regarded as one of the nineteenth century’s most eminent writers. Although many Persephone readers will know The Woman in White and The Moonstone, he in fact published twenty-one other novels. The New Magdalen (1873), Persephone Book No.138, is about a ‘fallen woman’, Mercy Merrick, attempting to rehabilitate her character and her reputation; and the (often reprehensible and unkind) attitude of some of those around her.
Review
I love The Woman in White so I had high hopes for this book and I was not disappointed. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will be honest I have never rooted for someone who should be seen as the bad guy so much and disliked the good person so much.
Mercy Merrick has had a terrible life and in the eyes of society she can’t sink any lower but Mercy has been trying to rebuild her life and make herself respectable again but society won’t let her achieve her dreams and keeps knocking her down. The story begins with Mercy working as a nurse in the Franco-Prussian war in 1870. However, during this period Mercy happens to meet Grace Roseberry and they exchange stories. Grace is going to England to become the companion of a rich lady and has all the papers and evidence she needs to achieve this. However, Grace is killed by a shell and Mercy sees her chance at a different life.
Mercy is a wonderful character, she has had a terrible childhood and adolescence but none of this was her fault. It was the fault of a society that did not look after its poor and vulnerable. Mercy tries to better herself though and refuses to go back to the life she once led. She works hard in whatever job she is in and strives to always do her best. But it isn’t just the fact she works hard it is the fact that she is good and kind and always thinking of others. Other people could have been made bitter and angry by a past like Mercy’s but this is not the case with Mercy and this is why Lady Janet and Julian Gray love her so much.
Lady Janet is an extremely wealthy woman who is very lonely. She has no children and her marriage we are told was loveless. For all her wealth she has had no love in her life apart from the love of her nephew Julian Gray. Julian Gray is a reverend of some renown, his sermons are legendary and he is known as being rather different from his fellow clergy. He does not judge people and will try to help anyone in need.
Grace Roseberry and Horace Holmcroft were my least favourite characters of the book. Grace was pure evil in my eyes, she might appear the perfect lady but she was shallow, unfeeling, selfish and judgemental. Horace Holmcroft spent his life surrounded by his mother and sisters and he was very much a mommy’s boy. His character is also exactly like Grace’s but Collins does not show us his true character until later in the book.
This book is beautifully written by Collins and so clever that I did not want to put it down. The book really shows that true love can be blinding, it can be all forgiving, it can make you completely change your opinions, true love can really conquer all. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons and I can’t wait to read my next Collins novel.
(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
William Wilkie Collins (1824-1889) was an English novelist and playwright known especially for The Woman in White and The Moonstone.
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Goodreads Monday is now hosted by Budget Tales Book Club. All you have to do is show off a book from your TBR that you’re looking forward to reading.
Hello!
I hope everyone has had a good start to the week. I have had a very lazy day due to having such a tiring day yesterday. This has meant quite a bit of reading which has been lovely.
My chosen book this week is another off my Classics Club list.
Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law. But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden sex worker, can offer the chance of redemption.
(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.)
Please drop me a comment if you have taken part in Goodreads Monday and I will head over for a visit.
Happy Reading
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A thousand worlds have opened, and the greatest land rush in human history has begun. As wave after wave of colonists leave, the power structures of the old solar system begin to buckle.
Ships are disappearing without a trace. Private armies are being secretly formed. The sole remaining protomolecule sample is stolen. Terrorist attacks previously considered impossible bring the inner planets to their knees. The sins of the past are returning to exact a terrible price.
And as a new human order is struggling to be born in blood and fire, James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante must struggle to survive and get back to the only home they have left.
Review
Well each time I read an Expanse novel I keep saying I have a new favourite and yet again I have a new favourite. I loved this book!
This book is very different from the previous books because the crew of the Roci are split up and living their own storylines instead of all being on the Roci sharing a storyline. I really found this interesting because you see the four main characters in a different light when they are on their own.
Naomi leaves Holden and goes off to try and correct the things she sees as sins in her past. Whilst she is on this mission we learn about Naomi’s past and how she ended up on the Canterbury. I really felt for Naomi in this book, she has real horrors in her past and she was sorely wronged and now she is having to go through them all again. We also learn in this book that Naomi has struggled with her mental health in the past and now has a battle to make sure these mental health problems do not return.
Amos goes off to Earth for personal reasons and this also shows another side of Amos. We have learnt that Amos is clearly a dangerous character from the previous books but what we really see in this book is just how dangerous he is and what he has to do to make sure his violent side does not take over. Amos comes across as a character without feeling who doesn’t really understand human emotions, such as someone wanting to hold his hand. But what we also see is that in his own way he does care and will try and protect people even ones he has only just met. Amos still remains my favourite character who always makes me laugh and in this book I particularly liked his relationship with Avasarala.
Alex is on Mars where he ends up helping out an old friend in the form of Bobbie. Bobbie and Alex end up on the Razorback trying to find missing ships, avoiding terrorists and helping in the odd rescue mission. I love the relationship between Alex and Bobbie, they are true friends and I don’t think Bobbie had realised this until this book when Alex refuses to leave her behind. Alex treats Bobbie like family and it is wonderful to see.
Holden finds himself left behind in this book, his crew have all gone off on their own missions and you can tell he feels left out and lonely. But this doesn’t mean he doesn’t see his own share of the action. Monica comes along and asks for his help and against his better judgement he can’t help but be interested and to try to solve the problem of these missing ships.
I really enjoyed seeing these different sides of the Roci crew and it really gave a different feel to the book from the previous books. I found myself desperately wanting to know what would happen next for each character. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.
(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
James S. A. Corey is the pen name of fantasy author Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck, George R. R. Martin’s assistant. They both live Albuquerque, New Mexico.
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Maigret has been interrogating Carl Andersen for seventeen hours without a confession. He’s either innocent or a very good liar. So why was the body of a diamond merchant found at his isolated mansion? Why is his sister always shut away in her room? And why does everyone at Three Widows Crossroads have something to hide?
Review
I have watched the episode of this where Maigret is played by Rowan Atkinson so I found it quite a shock to see just how much extra had been added into the TV adaptation which was not in the book. Even though the storyline is more complicated in the TV adaptation I found myself much preferring the book due to the simplicity of the storyline.
The story begins with a frustrated Maigret trying to get the answers he needs from Carl Andersen. In typical Maigret fashion this involves a lot of pipe smoking and a lot of beer drinking when he isn’t interrogating. Carl Andersen does not give Maigret the answers he requires so is left back at square one in trying to solve the murder and with more questions than answers. Maigret ends up going to the scene of the crime at the Three Widows Crossroads and this reveals even more mysteries for him to find answers to and more crimes.
The novel moves at a break neck speed with Maigret performing his usual excellent detective work but at times it did feel rushed and I just wanted a bit more detail. I will be honest I found Andersen’s sister quite annoying in the book but I only felt pity for Carl himself. The fact that everyone at the Three Widows Crossroads seems to hold a secret made me want to keep reading which meant that I read the book in one sitting.
This was a good book with a solid storyline but it did feel rushed at times and not to the standard of some of my favourite Maigret books. Overall, I give this book 3 out of 5 Dragons.
(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
Georges Simenon (1903-1989) was a Belgian writer who published nearly 500 novels and many short stories. Simenon is best known as the creator of the Maigret stories.
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Goodreads Monday is now hosted by Budget Tales Book Club. All you have to do is show off a book from your TBR that you’re looking forward to reading.
Hello!
I hope everyone has had a good start to the week.
The book I have chosen for this week is one that has been sat on my TBR for a very long time.
A compelling depiction of a man imprisoned by his own pride, Dombey and Son explores the devastating effects of emotional deprivation on a dysfunctional family. Paul Dombey runs his household as he runs his business: coldly, calculatingly and commercially. The only person he cares for is his little son, while his motherless daughter Florence is merely a ‘base coin that couldn’t be invested’. As Dombey’s callousness extends to others, he sows the seeds of his own destruction.
(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.)
Please drop me a comment if you have taken part in Goodreads Monday and I will head over for a visit.
Happy Reading
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
Friends Big Panda and Tiny Dragon journey through the seasons of the year together, day and night, in rain and in sun. Travelling through nature, they find hope and inspiration in the world around them, realising that even in the darkest of days, Spring will always return.
Feel the calming influence of Big Panda, who reminds us of the bigger picture while appreciating the simplicity of small moments.
Explore your surroundings with the inquisitive eye of Tiny Dragon, our friend who is big in heart if not in stature.
And on their journey through the ever-changing seasons, join these two friends as they learn how to live in the moment, be at peace with uncertainty, and find the strength to overcome life’s obstacles, together.
Review
I saw this little gem when I popped into the local WH Smith to get some stamps. Yes, I can’t resist a book when I see one.
This book is adorable and one that I will return to again and again. This little book is full of gorgeous illustrations and perfect little words of wisdom. The book tells the story of a panda and a little dragon. These two unlikely friends go on adventures together and help each other through any problems they are having. They also get lost at times but this never bothers them as they just see it as a blessing.
The book has five chapters that are Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring again. Each chapter covers the trials and tribulations that can come with the different seasons and always looks for the positives that can come out of each season.
This little book has so many pearls of wisdom about seeing the good things in everything, even when things seem really bad. The illustrations are amazing and help get the messages across. My particular little favourite illustrations are the uses for leaves that Tiny Dragon comes up with. I also like that a nice cup of tea can help with most problems which is something I can completely agree with.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I will be returning to it when I need a pearl of wisdom to help me see the positives in a bad situation. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.
(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
James Norbury is a self-taught artist and writer, who lives in Wales.
If you enjoy reading my blog and would like to make a donation I would be very grateful. Thank you
Lady Book Dragon 