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 hope everyone is having a good week so far. I have had a busy day teaching but when I have had any spaces I had been busy reading.
What I am Currently Reading
I’m really enjoying both of these books so far. I did struggle with Belgravia to begin with as I found the writing style a bit stilted but I’ve finally got used to it.
What I have Recently Finished Reading
I could not put The Bone Season down and absolutely loved it. I found Channel Island Monsters quite interesting and I loved the illustrations. Reviews will follow shortly.
What I Think I will Read Next
I have so many books I want to read at the moment and I’m not sure what I will choose.
My quote this week is by the American aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart (1897; disappeared 1937; declared dead 1939).
“I want to do it because I want to do it. Women must try to do things as men have tried. When they fail, their failure must be but a challenge to others.”
Ed is delighted to meet his twenty-three year old daughter’s fiancé for the first time. Ryan appears to be the perfect future son-in-law. There’s just one problem. There’s something off about Ryan. Something hidden in the shadows behind his eyes. And it seems that only Ed can see it.
Terrified that his daughter is being drawn in by a psychopath, Ed sets out to uncover her fiancé’s dark past – while keeping his own concealed. But no-one believes him. And the more he digs, the more he alienates her and the rest of the family who are convinced that Ryan is ‘the one’.
Ed knows different. For reasons of his own, he knows a monster when he sees one…
Review
This book had been sat on my TBR trolley for several years so I thought it was high time I read it.
I will be honest I found this book very frustrating and nearly gave up on more than one occasion. The first half of the book was just far too unbelievable for me as Ed’s obsession was ridiculous and very annoying. Ed alienated everyone around him and basically destroyed his own life all because of a hunch and no real evidence. I began to really dislike Ed’s character and I was relieved when the narrative was taken over by Ryan.
The other characters weren’t great either and really lacked substance. I would have loved to have learned more about Abbie but all her character showed was that she was a teacher, loved cats and was blind to all else other than Ryan. Claire had a little bit more about her but the part at the end where she found Abbie was also verging on the unbelievable.
Ryan was probably the most interesting character in the book and to be honest I would have actually liked to have learned more about his past. However, my favourite character in the whole book was most definitely the cat!
All in all The Catch lured me in with its interesting blurb but the actual story was just completely lacking and the only reason I kept reading was because I find it impossible to DNF a book. I give this book 2 out of 5 Dragons.
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About the author
Tim was born in Berkshire and studied in London and Cardiff before becoming a national newspaper journalist. He lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and two children, and writes in a cabin in the corner of his garden.
My chosen poem this week is by the Polish-American poet, prose writer, translator and diplomat Czeslaw Milosz (1911-2004).
Gift
A day so happy. Fog lifted early, I worked in the garden. Hummingbirds were stopping over honeysuckle flowers. There was no thing on earth I wanted to possess. I knew no one worth my envying him. Whatever evil I had suffered, I forgot. To think that once I was the same man did not embarrass me. In my body I felt no pain. When straightening up, I saw the blue sea and sails.
Roy Court and his crew are taking the trip of a lifetime—several lifetimes in fact—duplicated and dispatched across the galaxies searching for Earthlike planets. Many possibilities for the future. Yet for Roy, no matter how many of him there are, there’s still just one painful, unchangeable past. In what world can a broken relationship be reborn? The universe is so vast, there’s always room for hope.
Review
I love James S. A. Corey books so I was really excited to read a short story and so I downloaded the full Far Reaches collection onto my Kindle.
I struggled with this short story and found it hard to get into. In fact I did abandon it for a few months so when I picked it back up I read it from the beginning again. I enjoyed the concept of the story and really thought more could have been done with the story but I felt that too much was being crammed into a short space and this led to it feeling rather confused at times. I would have also liked more things explained which I think would have also helped me with the storyline.
I couldn’t help but root for Roy and really hoped that at least one version of him found happiness in love. However, I would have loved to have learnt more about his fellow crew mates.
This short story had so much potential but I just felt like it missed the mark for me and it didn’t feel like a typical James S. A. Corey story. I really wanted more from the story but just felt disappointed. I give this short story 3 out of 5 Dragons.
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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.
A healthy young man dies in his sleep, despite the ringing of eight separate alarm clocks… Gerry Wade had proved himself to be a champion sleeper; so the other house guests decided to play a practical joke on him. Eight alarm clocks were set to go off, one after the other, starting at 6.30 a.m. But when morning arrived, one clock was missing and the prank had backfired with tragic consequences. For Jimmy Thesiger in particular, the words ‘Seven Dials’ were to take on a new and chilling significance…
Review
This is my next book in my Agatha Christie challenge and it did not disappoint as I do love a Superintendent Battle mystery.
Superintendent Battle isn’t really the main character in the books that he features in and it is more the delightful Bundle. Battle was in this book and he always seemed to be in just the right place at just the right time and although he appeared a clumsy country policeman with no clue what is going on that is all a front because actually he is shrewd, sharp and very clever. He lulls the enemy into a false sense of security.
However, Bundle is my absolute favourite character in this book, closely followed by her father, Lord Caterham. Bundle is a super fast driver with no fear behind the wheel or in life. She is definitely a character who takes life by the horns and isn’t even phased by sleeping in the same bed which a man died in literally a few days before. She also loves a mystery and soon starts to investigate what is going on following the death of Gerry Wade.
The other character I loved was Lady Coote. There was a very melancholy air about Lady Coote. She longed for a simpler life, a life before her husband made millions. She was quiet and often came across as socially clumsy and awkward but really she was very good at managing her husband and winning at bridge. She was a very cleverly written character who really added to the story.
I loved how this mystery developed and how it built up and I loved Christie’s little subtle digs at the ridiculous in the aristocracy and new money in the 1920’s. The comedy in this book was also brilliant and I couldn’t help laughing out loud whilst reading this book. I give this book 5 out of 5 Dragons.
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About the author
Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections. She also wrote the world’s longest running play, The Mousetrap. She also wrote 6 novels under the name Mary Westmacott.
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 had a lovely morning of reading which was a great start to my Easter holidays.
My chosen book to feature this week is another that has been sat on my TBR pile for a very long time and that I have recently rediscovered.
1645. When Alice Hopkins’ husband dies in a tragic accident, she returns to the small Essex town of Manningtree, where her brother Matthew still lives.
But home is no longer a place of safety. Matthew has changed, and there are rumours spreading through the town: whispers of witchcraft, and of a great book, in which he is gathering women’s names.
To what lengths will Matthew’s obsession drive him? And what choice will Alice make, when she finds herself at the very heart of his plan?
Lady Book Dragon 