2023 - Re-Read. Yup, absolutely nothing has changed. Great 2nd installment!
---
I had to listen to the second in the Arc of the Scythe series as soon as2023 - Re-Read. Yup, absolutely nothing has changed. Great 2nd installment!
---
I had to listen to the second in the Arc of the Scythe series as soon as I had finished Scythe! What an AMAZING series! My love/hate relationship with YA is well and truly in the love zone right now!
So a year has passed since the events of the first novel. Citra is now an ordained scythe, working under Scythe Curie, madame of death. Rowan on the other hand has gone off on his own, stalking corrupt scythes and permanently ending them around the world. A target on his head. And the Thunderhead is there, not interfering, but not exactly doing nothing.
From my synopsis you wouldn't think that there was so much going on in this book, but boy - there is a LOT going on! Romance, intrigue, murder, betrayal, trickery, revenge, murder, violence, friendship, murder and more murder! Oh and a SHARK ATTACK!!!
You will have to start by reading Scythe to have an idea of what is going on, and just like in the first book, the intricate plot web weaves even more complexly to create a totally unique and magical YA tale, that for the most part, doesn't feel very YA at all!
I got completely lost in this universe. I devoured this audio version, barely stopping to sleep! Listening to it every chance that I had, anxiously awaiting my children to go to sleep so I could put my headphones back in and keep listening! I had it on speaker next to the shower, while I was driving in my car, and every minute I could squeeze in between!
The characters are complex and amazingly entertaining. The writing is absolutely superb!
It had such a unique and intricate plot, the characters are so diverse and I have no idea how he comes up with the scenario's that he does, but my gosh I'm glad he did!
Did I enjoy the audio version? I LOVED THE AUDIO VERSION!!!! Both Scythe and Thunderhead were performed by Greg Tremblay and he did such a great job! He was great at all the voices, and created a unique and recognisable voice for each of the characters. I also enjoyed his portrayal of the women in the story. His narration had me HOOKED!
Would I recommend Thunderhead? YES! As I said, you will need to read Scythe first, this will NOT work as a stand alone, but go and read it! Because you will not regret it! I am formulating my favourites of the year list and this wins both best YA and best series I have read this year!! Absolutely amazing!!
I purchased Thunderhead at my own expense from audible.com
YA has been disappointing me lately. I have read a lot of teenage angst and some pretty crappy story li2023 Re-Read. Yup love it. Exactly as below! ---
YA has been disappointing me lately. I have read a lot of teenage angst and some pretty crappy story lines, so when I pick up a YA I do so with a lower expectation than I should really. I had seen the amazing reviews for Scythe and still put it off, until I saw it pop on my audible recommended list and thought, why not!?
Set in the distant future, disease and death have been wiped out. Humans have transitioned from mortal to immortal with the help of a magnificent artificial intelligence called the thunderhead. But with overpopulation looming the only way to control the population, is to cull it. Scythes are bringers of true death. When Citra and Rowan are chosen to become Scythes apprentices they undercover the corrupt and immoral side of the scythes.
This story BLEW ME AWAY! I was so taken with the originality and cleverness of the plot! I was captivated listening to the audio version, I found it hard to turn it off!
There was no love triangle (YAY) and the romance was not a central plot aspect, but it still worked!
I LOVED all of the characters and the intricate and complex relationships that come with immortality
I can’t even really describe how unique and riveting this story is. You will just have to give it a go for yourself!
Did I enjoy the audio version? Absolutely! It was amazing on audio! Would be a fabulous intro into the audio book world for novices!
Would I recommend Scythe? Yes! The best YA I have read this year! YA Fans get onto it!!
I purchased Scythe at my own expense on audible.com...more
When I opened this up at my front door I am not exaggerating when I say my heart SKIPPED A BEAT! This is absolutely the most beautiful children’s bookWhen I opened this up at my front door I am not exaggerating when I say my heart SKIPPED A BEAT! This is absolutely the most beautiful children’s book I have ever seen in my life! The colours and illustrations are just GORGEOUS! I was afraid to let my kids read it in case they ripped it!
Julia Donaldson and illustrator Sharon King-Chai have put together this BEAUTIFUL alphabet book FULL of animals.
But it’s not just full of animals, each animal is a unique and gorgeous piece of art, done on beautiful textured paper, with pages that fold up, and out, and are cut out to add to the atmosphere and feel of the animals themselves. From an ant to a kangaroo and zebra, each page is fresh and imaginative. The whole thing is just BEAUTIFUL!
The whole thing is like a beautiful puzzle too with hints as to what the next animal is going to be. Very clever.
Now I do have ONE criticism. One small, teeny-tiny problem. My son is trying to learn the alphabet, and he needs to have things in front of him. And although of course the letters are there as the first letter of each animal, they are not emphasised. What would have made this book absolutely PERFECT would have been having the letter on the page somewhere, or bigger than the rest of the word. However that is my ONLY criticism and don’t let it stop you from checking this book out because it’s just AMAZING!
Did my kids enjoy Animalphabet? My son loved the pictures and guessing the animals names!
My daughter just wanted to grab at it so I kept it out of her reach because I didn’t want her to destroy it!
Would I recommend Animalphabet? YES YES YES!!!! It is just SO GORGEOUS!!! I am going to buy some copies to give friends with young kids as presents! But even if you don’t have or know any kids, the illustrations are just so beautiful and the book would make a wonderful addition to any book collection! LOVE IT!
Many many thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for a copy of Animalphabet for my kids and I to review!
WOW!!! What a ride that was! What an awesome find!!! So glad I took a chance on Infinite in a recent audible sale!
Poor Will! First, he is stuck on a sWOW!!! What a ride that was! What an awesome find!!! So glad I took a chance on Infinite in a recent audible sale!
Poor Will! First, he is stuck on a spaceship travelling light years, but his frozen sleep doesn't quite work and his brain is awake and trapped in his body for a decade. Then, he awakens to a massacre, and just to top it all off he discovers that he is immortal. He is all alone for eternity and cannot die. Surely nothing else can go wrong right??
5 Fabulous stars! Loved every second of it! It BLEW MY MIND at times with all the science stuff and would be enjoyed by anyone who loves a good sci fi, and likes such films as the Matrix and Interstellar, and such books as The Sparrow, Dark Matter and Children of Time.
It was just a fun, wild ride! The characters, although there were only a few, were fantastic! Will! Man! The poor guy!!
Did I enjoy the audio version? Yes! I LOVED the narrator! This is not the first audio book I have read that R.C Bray has narrated. He also narrated The Martian which is one of my all time favourite audio books! When I realised it was him, I knew I was going to enjoy it! He is so good at all the voices, both male and female. Absolutely fantastic!
Would I recommend Infinite?
Absolutely! Any sci-fi fan should enjoy this one! It had some MIND BLOWING themes and moments! I absolutely LOVED it! One of my favourites of the year for sure!
* I purchased Infinite at my own expense at audible.com
THIS Ladies and Gentlemen, is how you write a good procedural thriller! WOW! I purchased The Puppet Show when I randomly saw it in Big W. I loved the THIS Ladies and Gentlemen, is how you write a good procedural thriller! WOW! I purchased The Puppet Show when I randomly saw it in Big W. I loved the cover. It wasn't until I got home and looked up the goodreads reviews that I began to get excited! Every one of my friends rated it a 4 or higher so I knew I was going to read something awesome. Absolutely the best police procedural I have read this year! In fact, I would put it as my second favourite start to a police thriller series of all time! Just behind Lacey Flint.
Poe is brought back from suspension when a serial killer leaves his name carved into one of his victims chests. What a welcome back! Teamed up with socially awkward analyst Tilly, Poe has to find this serial killer, and discover why the killer used his name. Is he the next victim? Or is it something different? What does the killer want from him.
WOWEE! When it started I thought "Yeah this will be ok", but then as I kept reading and getting immersed in the story and characters I began to really enjoy it and upped it to "Yeah this is going to be really good"... And then the action started, and there was twist after twist after twist! AMAZING!!!
Yes I guessed who did it! Yes I am awesome! (or just read too many thrillers), but IT DIDNT MATTER!! Usually it does and I deduct stars because I enjoy being surprised. But even though I got it right THERE WERE STILL MORE TWISTS! I LOVE THAT! Just when you get cocky BAM there is another spanner in the works!
And the characters! Loved all of them! Tilly and Poe just WORKED together! What a team!
There was something really great about the writing and the atmosphere the author creates in this book. Although it sounds like it will be just another thriller, something about it makes it stand out. Maybe it is in the way the storyline moves, or the characters, I can't quite put my finger on it. It is just a really fabulous read!
Would I recommend The Puppet Show? YES! If you enjoy thrillers pick this one up - it was great! I have no idea when he is going to write the next one, but I AM THERE!!!!
I purchased The Puppet Show on a whim, at my own expense.
I really felt like listening to a sci-fi book and this one was in my audible recommended list. So without thinking too much about it, I started listenI really felt like listening to a sci-fi book and this one was in my audible recommended list. So without thinking too much about it, I started listening. What I got was not entirely what I expected. It's not so much a sci-fi as it is a historical fiction, alternate reality book. A REALLY good one!
It's the USA in the 1950's. The Second World War may be over, but humanity is dealt another blow when a meteorite lands on Washington and obliterates the entire government and hundreds of thousands of people. Then, just to make matters worse, super math wiz Elma discovers that the blast has created an extinction event and humanity as we know it will be wiped from the globe within decades. So what can be done about it? Humanity needs to look at the stars and planets for its future, and they need to get a wriggle on, as time is running out. However, putting people into space is not easy, and for those aspiring astronauts things are difficult enough without accounting for 1950's sexism and racism. Elma wants up. But her endeavour to get to the stars is going to be harder than she ever imagined.
This book was historical fiction with a touch sci-fi, a splash of humour, and a pinch of fantasy and a LOT of fun! When I realised it wasn't going to be exactly the sci-fi epic that I imagined (no I didn't particularly read the description, obviously!), I was going to abandon it. But it has this beautiful charm which kept me listening. And I am so glad that I did keep listening, because it turned out to be absolutely one of the best books I have read this year!
The writing is absolutely delightful. So easy to read (or listen to), flowing beautifully with a captivating storyline that may not sound the most enthralling, (I mean getting women into space isn't something I think I would have picked up if I HAD read the description properly!) But it was a really wonderful story!
I adored Elma. I thought she may annoy me as the story went on, but I came to love her. I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the fact that she has major anxiety, but is extremely high functioning. There aren't enough characters like Elma, or maybe I have just been reading the wrong books!
Her HEALTHY relationship with her husband was so refreshing, and there were some characters that I loved to dislike.
The audio version was AMAZING!!! I couldn't get over how good the narrator was and wanted to know if she has narrated anything else, and then I realised it was narrated by the author!! BRILLIANT! I loved the southern accents. It was utterly charming! I'm won over!
I honestly don't have one bad thing to say about this book! I loved it!
Would I recommend The Calculating Stars?
Yes! If it sounds like your cup of tea, give it a go! And even if it doesn't you may still enjoy it like I did! I think I will neglect to read the description more often!
I purchased The Calculating Stars at my own expense at audible.com.
I LOVED this second instalment in the Themis Files trilogy! Not often I enjoy the second of a trilogy more than the first! I wonder how good the thirdI LOVED this second instalment in the Themis Files trilogy! Not often I enjoy the second of a trilogy more than the first! I wonder how good the third one is going to be!!?
So 9 years following the events of the first novel Sleeping Giants, Kara, Vincent and Rose are back as well as the man who is never named who pulls all the strings. Another robot suddenly appears in London. Who are these other worldly beings that have sent it? And what do they want from us?
WOW! Action-packed and SO MUCH FUN! I absolutely LOVED this one!
It is full of interesting and intriguing metaphors in the form of stories that I found charming. My favourite character is Mr Burns for sure! But the other characters were really likeable (well most of them anyway) and I was glued to my iPhone, unable to stop listening to the narration!
It carried on from the first one, so you would have a bit of trouble following it if you haven't read Sleeping Giants, but the two of them so far! WOW! What an exciting sci-fi!
Another robot has arrived! And it looks like it doesn't want to play nice. People die, humanity needs to come together! But will they?
Did I like the audio narration? I loved it! A few of the characters voices grated on me at times, but not enough for me to dislike it! It truly is a great series on audio. There are SO MANY different voices both male and female and I love that its exactly like an action movie inside my head! If you are new to audio books and enjoy a good sci-fi, I urge you to give this one a try! The way it is written, the structure of the chapters is perfect for beginners as it is so darn easy to listen to!
Would I recommend Waking Gods?
ABSOLUTELY!!! If you are a sci-fi fan you have to check this series out! And man! Great ending! Can't wait for the third one!!
I purchased Waking Gods on audible at my own expense.
I love twisty psychological thrillers. The kind that make you go "WHOA I NEVER SAW THAT COMING!". But I also have this uncanny ability to figure out wI love twisty psychological thrillers. The kind that make you go "WHOA I NEVER SAW THAT COMING!". But I also have this uncanny ability to figure out what the twist is! So therefore I spend a lot of the time in reflection of the books that I read, regretting that I was so easily able to figure out what was going on, and feeling disappointed, yet at the same time proud of myself and a little self-inflated for figuring it out. And I thought this book was just going to be another predictable one. I had heard there was at least one big twist, so I was prepared. I braced myself. I carefully listened to all the information that was given, and quickly formulated my own conclusion. "HA!" I thought when I was correct... "You can't fool me! Mel, the master of figuring out the twist!".
But.
Then.
It got me.
A curve. An unexpected thunderstorm. I was stuck in the rain without an umbrella, and I bloody loved it!
Amber is in a coma. She can't move. But she is aware of everything going on around her. How did she get there? Is she still in danger?
This is a really tricky one to review. I don't want to give anything away.
I loved the writing, how she put it together.
The characters were fantastic! Every one of them. There were so many different side stories to keep you intrigued. It was just a lot of fun.
The only problem with this book is a professional one. Not as a book reviewer, as you can clearly see - I am no professional... It is as a nurse. And its the same complaint I have with every coma story that I read.If you have a tube in your mouth and a ventilator breathing for you - you cant smell anything! You can't smell if you are not breathing through your nose. Air needs to get through. Sure, some air may get through, but not enough to be able to describe the intricate smells that Amber often experiences. Yes I know, she may have been hallucinating it or dreaming it. She was hardly a reliable narrator... But, general rule: Air going through tube is bypassing the nose. Therefore non existent or minimal smelling. Certainly not detailed smells as she was describing. However that's just me and any reader without a medical background, or who just doesn't care, wont even think about it. But its a pet peeve of mine.
Anyway otherwise, great story, great characters and that thunderstorm man. Loved it! I got the kindle and audio version, the narrator was SUPERB! Thought it was fantastic!
Would I recommend Sometimes I Lie?
Yes! Loved it! If you are thriller fan I highly recommend you check it out!
Jodi Picoult is one of those reliable authors that manage to keep you turning the pages with every one of their books that you read. I was really exciJodi Picoult is one of those reliable authors that manage to keep you turning the pages with every one of their books that you read. I was really excited to read her new one A Spark of Light because I know she always delivers the goods! A book that grabs at both sides of the story, sucks you in and brings in all the feels! This time it is about abortion.
Hugh is a police negotiator called in to talk to a gunman after he opens fire at an abortion clinic. Things get very complicated for Hugh when he discovers that his 15 year-old daughter is in the clinic with his sister. Can he get this gunman to spare the hostages? Why did he open fire?
As always, characters and human relationships are front and centre in this tale. Each character has a unique story, encouraging the reader to empathise with them no matter what their viewpoint. The women in the clinic, the police negotiator and the gunman himself all have a story to delve into and she does it so well! Although I struggled to empathise with the gunman, I still found myself getting sucked into his story.
I loved the way this story was written. It starts at the end and then makes it's way back one chapter at a time. I thought I would get confused, but Picoult is a master at what she does. It flowed cleverly and seamlessly and there was no confusion at all.
The one thing that I didn't like about this book were the twists. I saw EVERY single one of them coming. Certain things were put into place earlier in the novel that I found to make things really obvious, so when the big reveals occurred I was left feeling slightly underwhelmed. However, hopefully that's just me, and others reading will not have that problem.
The subject matter is controversial of course, and like the majority of her books - she makes you think. And I certainly did ponder what my personal views were, not so much on being for or against abortion, but more about the technicalities of when is a baby actually a baby, and where exactly does that line between the rights of the unborn and the rights of the woman meet. As always, Picoult has done her research. A LOT of research. There was a particularly graphic medical procedure scene in there that unexpectedly took my breath away. It was done as tastefully as it could be, and it certainly made me ponder and re-evaluate my own beliefs. A lot of emotions were brought up, but it was worth it!
Would I recommend A Spark of Light? Yes, if you enjoyed any of her other books I am sure you will appreciate this one. And if you haven't, it is certainly a good place to begin!
*I received an uncorrected proof of A Spark of Light from Allen and Unwin and was not obligated to do a review.
WOW WOW WOW!!! This book was AMAZING! So much fun! I enjoyed every second of it! The best sci-fi I have read this year! And the audio version was SO GWOW WOW WOW!!! This book was AMAZING! So much fun! I enjoyed every second of it! The best sci-fi I have read this year! And the audio version was SO GOOD!! Sometimes two authors make magic! These sisters have done such a wonderful job with this one! And they are Aussie!!
Stars Uncharted follows the two lead female characters, Nika and Josune. Nika is a body 'modder'. She uses special machine pods to change peoples bodies and appearance, and she is darn good at what she does. So good in fact that she invents a machine that does something extraordinary. After a nasty criminal confronts her in her studio, she is suddenly on the run for her life! Josune is an explorer with a crew on a space ship named The Road, and a chance encounter with Nika and Roystan, the captain of The Road, brings Nika and Josune together for an action packed adventure!
I just LOVED this book! I was so sad when it ended! The story line was clever and entertaining! There were some very smart twists and the writing was superb! But what made the story were the characters and the technology.
Each main character was hiding something, and they were all given some really funny and clever dialogue. Although all the characters were great, Nika made the book for me. I absolutely ADORED her! And when she got a body modder machine and did her thing, I relished listening to her go! It was so addictive!
I think it would make a really entertaining movie or TV show! It reminded me a lot of Firefly.
I always enjoy a side romance in all my non-romance genre books, and this one had a nice one. I just wish there was more!
Would I recommend Stars Uncharted? YES! Fans of fun sci-fi will enjoy this one! Really hoping that this is the first in a series!!! I really want more! Can't wait to check out their series 'Linesman'. The reviews are very promising!
I purchased Stars Uncharted at my own expense at audible.com
How could I not give this one a try?? With its shining 5 star reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, and almost every single one of my friends rating it 5 sHow could I not give this one a try?? With its shining 5 star reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, and almost every single one of my friends rating it 5 stars, I had to see what all the fuss was about! I have so many books to read in paper/kindle at the moment, but REALLY wanted to read this one. So I decided to bump it up the list and get it read faster by listening to the audio version. So glad that I did. I think this is the most moving and captivating historical fiction book I have ever had the pleasure to read/listen to! I absolutely adored it!
When Monique is contacted to write a biography of the elusive, academy award winning Hollywood icon, Evelyn Hugo - she is shocked! Why has this starlet picked her? She is a seemingly unknown writer. Of course she is excited and jumps at the opportunity, but what scandalous secrets does this iconic celebrity have? Why has she hidden from the public for so long? And why exactly did she choose Monique for this job?
Oh my heart!!! What a beautiful story! When I first started reading I assumed it was just going to be a story about seven husbands. And it was, but it was so much more than that. There was so much depth to it.
I LOVED the writing! Evelyn gave her secrets away so slowly, and Monique's teasers throughout really made you wonder what on earth was really going on! And although the twist was fairly obvious, or at least partially obvious, you still got swept up in the emotion of it.
The story was made up of Evelyn and Monique's perspectives and also made up of snippets of newspaper and magazine articles through the decades. It made the whole thing incredibly entertaining and superbly additive! I found it so hard to pause the audio when I had to!
The 50's to 80's Hollywood glamour was so fascinating to read about! The drama behind the spotlight is obviously appealing to so many people, and Evelyn's story pulls at the heart strings and does not let go! It didn't go in the direction I was expecting it to go, and I am so glad. Because I was BLOWN AWAY by this book! By the exquisite story. By Evelyn, her life, the romance/s, friendships and anguish she lived through.
Would I recommend The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo? Absolutely! Do yourself a favour and read it!
*I purchased The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo at my own expense at audible.com
Well that was my kind of book! I LOVE books that screw with your mind a little bit and as soon as I started reading Foe I knew that I was going to enjWell that was my kind of book! I LOVE books that screw with your mind a little bit and as soon as I started reading Foe I knew that I was going to enjoy where it was going. I think it would make an extremely good episode of 'Black Mirror"!
Henrietta and Junior are a married couple who live on their remote farm sometime in the future. A stranger, Terrance appears at the door and informs them that Junior has been randomly selected to travel far, far away for an unknown period of time. He doesn't have a choice in the matter, and to combat Henrietta's loneliness, they are going to leave her with some company while he is away.
I just have to talk about Reid's writing. I absolutely loved it! Very, very clever! He has a way of using phrases and punctuation to add an eeriness to the atmosphere and make it totally and utterly engrossing!
Although it is a relatively short book, he builds up the tension really gradually until you are at the edge of your seat!
All of the characters were fabulous. I really enjoyed how there were only three central characters and you couldn't really trust any of them! I really enjoy reading about characters like that!
I have read some reviews that said this book made them think deeply about relationships and marriage. I must admit I didn't experience this "deep thinking" like others seem to have done. Maybe it also depends on your mood while reading, perhaps I wasn't entirely in a contemplative mind. But I can appreciate how it brought about strong emotions in others. There is something about the almost haunting atmosphere.
Although I found the book to be incredible, I still only rated it 4 and not higher. Which is still amazing! But to me, the twists were predictable. I appreciate the writing and the tension and all the amazing things this book has to offer, but I knew what was going to happen, and I much prefer to be totally shocked.
However, that is the only negative thing I have to say about it. It was a fabulous book! Amazing writing! I'm going immediately to buy his previous book "I'm Thinking of Ending Things". I can't wait to read everything he has ever written!!!
Would I recommend Foe? Yes! If you enjoy fabulous, eerie writing, a bit of psychological-screwing-with-your-mind, and a touch of sci-fi, you will enjoy what Foe has to offer! It has made my best of 2018 shelf!
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster Australia and the author via Netgalley for a copy of Foe to read in exchange for my honest review.
I had to read this one after reading some rave reviews. I am so glad that I did!
Marissa finds the lifeless body of her old friend on the beach, havingI had to read this one after reading some rave reviews. I am so glad that I did!
Marissa finds the lifeless body of her old friend on the beach, having seemingly fallen from a cliff. Did she jump? Or was she pushed? Marissa is plagued with guilt and anger over events long ago, and makes it her mission to discover what happened to Lauren. However, the truth gives her more than what she bargained for.
What a stunner of a little novel! It was almost perfect! A fabulously creepy and tense story that gave me goose bumps, and short enough that it didn't drag on AT ALL! Straight to the good stuff! Fantastic!
I LOVED how this was written! It gradually got creepier and creepier and then you were literally at the edge of your seat! I was so annoyed with real world distractions that kept me away from this story! I just wanted to keep reading!
The characters were absolutely awesome, I just loved how they were all intertwined. You didn't know who you could trust. Everyone had secrets and it was done so cleverly!
So many twists and turns! It had me completely guessing right up until the very end and it is rare for me to have no idea and be so surprised! I read way too many psychological thrillers and have become too good at guessing the twists! I love it when I get it wrong!
Would I recommend After Nightfall?
Absolutely! A fantastic psychological thriller that will have you guessing right up until the end! Absolutely fantastic!
Many thanks to the publisher via netgalley for a copy of After Nightfall for me to read and review.
Well, that was another LONG audio book! But I got through to the other side! I can't say that I was overwhelmed with excitement for this one. The lastWell, that was another LONG audio book! But I got through to the other side! I can't say that I was overwhelmed with excitement for this one. The last part was pretty epic, but overall it moved quite slowly. However what it lacked being overly long it made up for with a clever and engaging storyline. Still a solid 4
Vin and Eland are back ! Eland is trying to run a kingdom and Vin is trying to make her powers even stronger and has a new metal to play with. Meanwhile there are not one, not two, but three armies taking stance outside the city gates, waiting to take over! And in comes Zane, another mistborn, does he have the capacity to defeat Vin? Or win her heart over Eland? And what is this Well of Ascension about anyway?
In my personal opinion, there is something that should NEVER be overdone in a high fantasy novel. What am I speaking of? ANGST! I'm talking about teenage puppy dog angst! Vin and Eland, man! They made me CRINGE! "I'm not good enough for him", "I'm not good enough for her". My goodness I just wanted to smack their heads together! If it was just once or twice I wouldn't have minded so much but at times it felt like chapters of them pining over something or another. AAAAARGGGG!!!!! I get that they are young with hormones but for goodness sake I don't want all that crap in a high fantasy novel!
Ok, now that we have that out of the way, lets discuss the positives. I really enjoyed the politics in this one. It was cleverly written, and actually a lot of fun to read. There was more politics than there was action, and that was ok with me because it was entertaining! What I didn't like was politics amongst the teenage angst! How can you run a country if you can't even figure out your girlfriend Eland?!!! Darn sorry, back to the angst again!
Zane, I LOVE Zane. I want Zane to be in every book I read. I couldn't get enough of him. He is interesting and creepy and crazy and I thought he is the best character out of the whole series so far!
I also loved all the twists and turns, there was a big one I didn't see coming and I love being surprised!
Even though there wasn't much action, the action that was there was pretty good. There were a few really cool scenes with Vin, the ones without the angst...
There is an introduction of some new memorable characters, and a couple of side stories to keep things interesting.
The audio version again was narrated by Michael Kramer. He is amazing narrating this series! I love his characterisations and there is something very cool about his voice. I am so glad he is also narrating the next one. Perfect voice for high fantasy. It made the 27 hours not quite so long.
This still isn't the longest audiobook I have ever listened to. That award goes to The Wise Man's Fear which was a whopping 42 hours long! It had angst in that too come to think of it.
OK I am done now. The next one is on my phone ready to go. Man, I really hope it doesn't have more teenage angst!!!
Would I recommend The Well of Ascension?
Absolutely! You will have to read The Final Empire, or you will be totally lost. An amazing fantasy series so far! I am looking forward to the next one!
I purchased The Well of Ascension at my own expense at audible.com...more
4.5 Stars She may live in the UK now, but we will still claim her as our own! Sydney's own Ingrid Alexandra is making a big name for herself as a best-4.5 Stars She may live in the UK now, but we will still claim her as our own! Sydney's own Ingrid Alexandra is making a big name for herself as a best-selling thriller author, as her debut novel hits stores here is Australia next month! Out now in the UK, it is a complex, chilling and crazily-twisted read that I devoured in one sitting - glued to my chair!
Mary and her best friend Cat move from Melbourne to Sydney after Mary leaves an abusive relationship. They live in an eastern Sydney apartment by the beach with a flatmate, however they need extra funds and a new housemate so Rachel soon moves in. Everyone thinks there is something odd about her and Mary is the only one who really connects with her. But Rachel seems to know a lot about Mary. More than she should. What exactly is it that she is hiding?
I thought this was a great read! Twisted and chilling, it was impossible for me to put down!
The writing was excellent! Gradually, small parts of information became clear as you went along, which built up some awesome tension, and it had some MAJOR twists and turns.
The characters were all really well imagined. You couldn't know who to trust, who was playing or being played. I love books that do that! No character was reliable and it left it open for anything to happen! There was drama, action, so many psychological twists and turns, and even a little romance!
The only problem I had was that the ending was a little TOO twisted. A little too out there. But I still enjoyed it. Those twists and turns, Man! They were something!
Would I recommend The New Girl? Absolutely! Thriller fans will eat this one up. It was REALLY well imagined and well written and I have no doubt that we will be seeing much more from this talented Aussie author in the future!
*Thanks to Avon books and the author via Netgalley for a copy of The New Girl in exchange for my honest review.
I don’t often take my son to the library. He loves books, but he doesn’t really like the quiet of the library, and his attention span is still only abI don’t often take my son to the library. He loves books, but he doesn’t really like the quiet of the library, and his attention span is still only about 10 seconds! But considering he is starting school next year, I thought it would be good to start to go a bit more regularly. He was very excited about getting his very own library card, and we went through to the children’s section to borrow his very first book! I assumed that he would go for something with dinosaurs, but he spotted I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You on the display shelf. He said that the babies were cute and exclaimed “This is the one I want to borrow Mummy!” It wasn’t until we got home and he asked to read it that I even realised it was written by Australian actor Kate Richie. I didn’t even know that she had written a children’s book!
I Just Can’t Wait to Meet You is a beautiful story about a mother to be, waiting on the arrival of her precious baby. She wonders if it will be a boy or a girl and what they will look like, and describes how much love she has for them before they even arrive.
I was unexpectedly touched by this book. As I was reading it to my son, it brought up a lovely conversation about how I was feeling when he was in my tummy. He was asking me if I was excited, and if I knew if he was a boy or a girl. And then we started talking about what it was like when he was born and what he was like as a baby. All these things we had discussed before, but he usually gets so distracted so it was lovely to have the conversation when he was really thinking about it. He was telling me about how he was excited to meet his sister when she came out of my tummy, and how much he loves her, even though she yells and pinches him sometimes. My heart just about melted!
The illustrations throughout the book are just GORGEOUS and it is really beautifully written. An extremely pleasant surprise, I might even buy a copy for the kids!
What did my kids think of I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You? My daughter (1 year old) loved pointing at the babies and saying “Bubba!”. She’s too young to have understood the story I think, but she loved the pictures and the rhymes.
My son (4 years) thought the story was very sweet and loved all the pictures. I am not sure if he is going to want to return it to the library! I have already had to read it to him 5 times!
Would I recommend I Just Couldn’t Wait to Meet You? Yes absolutely! Especially if you have young children, or pregnant! It will surely bring out all the emotions! A lovely book!
All in all a great choice by my son for his first library book! I am sure the dinosaurs will be next!
As soon as I saw this was so excited to see it was written by Julia Donaldson! My kids absolutely adore her books. And as suspected, my son (and even As soon as I saw this was so excited to see it was written by Julia Donaldson! My kids absolutely adore her books. And as suspected, my son (and even my 1 year old daughter) loved reading it! It is now the number one requested book in our house! I have had to read it to them twice today already!
The hungry king needs a new cook! But Wobbly Bob is a bit scared. Of EVERYTHING! Will he get the job of the new cook even though he seems to be too scared to even cut chips?
Its a cute and delightful witty story about the hungry king’s search for a new cook. The illustrations are colourful, beautiful and the rhymes are heaps of fun! My son loves the ending of the story and laughs every time! He loves it when the cook exclaims “I’m scared, I’m scared, I’m terribly scared!”
Easily a 5 star read for the whole family! Loads of fun!
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan for a copy of The Cook and the King for my kids and I to review!
4.5 Stars Another awesome stand alone action/adventure by Aussie author Greig Beck! I love his books! Especially on audio narrated by Sean Mangan! Like4.5 Stars Another awesome stand alone action/adventure by Aussie author Greig Beck! I love his books! Especially on audio narrated by Sean Mangan! Like an action movie for your ears!
Cate Granger is an evolutionary biologist, intent on following her grandfather’s footsteps, who disappeared in Baranof Island the Gulf of Alaska, back in 1952. With a team of fellow scientists, a billionaire, and an old flame, Cate makes her way by submarine into an untouched underground sea. They soon find they are not alone in the dark water, a giant megalodon shark had decided the submarine and its crew looks rather tasty, and it will soon discover that the rest of the planets oceans have many more people to eat! Will they be able to defeat the giant predator before it’s too late?
So much fun! Action-packed and fast paced, Beck has never once disappointed me!
Yes, his books are a bit of a guilty pleasure, all you just have to sit back and enjoy! However, you only have to relax and enjoy without too much thinking because Beck has done all the thinking for you! I really admire all the research he puts into all of his books, it is meticulous. He is sneakily making me learn stuff! From the way submarines work to the creatures in the deep ocean, I now feel like I know a lot more than I did before I started!
Love a bit of romance in my books, and there was a touch here and there. Perhaps not quite so much romantic tension as I would have liked, compared to (most of) the Alex Hunter novels. I always think it adds another dimension when the characters are fighting for their lives, and have almost palpable tension with each other. In this respect there just wasn’t quite enough for me, but it was still enjoyable. Plus I am sure a lot of his audience are after much more action than romance!
Would I recommend Fathomless? Yes! Give it a go! Especially on audio! It certainly made 12 hours of housework and travel to and from work much more enjoyable! I have already downloaded more of his books because I had forgotten how much I enjoy them!
I purchased Fathomless on Audible.com at my own expense.
4.5 Stars A few years ago, talented Australian artist and aspiring author Rosa Fedele sent me her debut novel to review, The Red Door. I really enjoyed4.5 Stars A few years ago, talented Australian artist and aspiring author Rosa Fedele sent me her debut novel to review, The Red Door. I really enjoyed that book and was excited when she released her second novel The Legacy of Beauregarde.
In Sydney City 1990 an affluent couple purchase The Seminary, a large estate in need of restoration. As they restore the property, they attempt to relocate Marcela, who lives in a large cottage next to it. However, her family have lived there for generations, and she is not about to move willingly. She is also afflicted with a gift, or curse, allowing her to see things that others do not. What happened generations ago in the Seminary? Why does it matter now?
That was a VERY brief run down of a much more intricate novel, which was filled with interesting and complex characters, and had a spooky and an extremely atmospheric story line. It was full of intrigue, romance, sex, horror, mystery and drama!
I really enjoyed the writing, it is distinctive and unique. The story is cleverly interwoven between the interesting and complicated characters. Yes, there are a LOT of characters to keep track of. That was probably my biggest challenge while reading this. At times I found it slightly hard to keep up, especially as the story was developing in the first half of the book. However by the end of it I felt I knew them intimately, especially Marcela and Claudia.
There were a few characters from The Red Door, and by no means do you need to have read the first one, but if you have – it actually made for a few intense and tragic developments from the first novel. I was a bit shell-shocked as to how those relationships from the first book panned out.
There were actually a HEAP of twists and turns throughout this book, the majority of which I had NO IDEA were coming and helped give the story a really gritty edge. And I just loved the dark and haunting atmosphere.
I really enjoyed the 1990 setting! I actually forgot it was set in the 90’s at times, until I would realise that the characters were not using mobile phones! Loved Australia in the 90’s!
I also have to mention the artwork! WOW! At the beginning of each chapter is a beautiful illustration of something relevant to the upcoming plot. It is one thing to write a book, it is another to illustrate it so absolutely beautifully! You just need to check out her Instagram page to see how incredibly talented she is!
Would I recommend The Legacy of Beauregarde? Absolutely! I enjoyed it even more than The Red Door. She has a very unique style of writing that I found really refreshing. The plot was intricate and addictive. I think most fans of suspense will enjoy this one!
*Many thanks to author Rosa Fedele for a copy of The Legacy of Beauregarde in exchange for my honest review....more
I must admit that when I first started this book, I was afraid that I might not like it. The blurb felt a little bit old for me, and there wasn’t too I must admit that when I first started this book, I was afraid that I might not like it. The blurb felt a little bit old for me, and there wasn’t too much appeal about a group of older women discussing books that they have read. But oh how wrong I was! This was one of the most delightful, yet deep and thoughtful books that I have read in a very long time. One of those rare ones that actually make you stop and evaluate how you are feeling about your life, and leave you with warm fuzzy feelings throughout, and a bit of emptiness after finishing the last page.
Four retiring-aged women, Adele, Ros, Judy and Simone have been in an online book club for years. They enjoy the weekly Skype catch up’s, but have never met each other face to face. When Adele agrees to house sit in the Blue Mountains, she invites them all to join her for a whole month. She gets all of them to choose one book that will help the others get to know them, and to bring three copies. Each Sunday they will discuss the book, and enjoy the sights and relaxation of the Blue Mountains in the meantime. Excited and nervous about finally meeting each other in person, the four of them make their way from different parts of the country, to the cottage in the Blue Mountains.
From the beginning I realised there was going to be something magical about this book. From the moment they met each other in the house I struggled to put this book down. The writing is absolutely wonderful. The atmosphere in the cottage is so comforting, I could almost feel it through the pages. I was so at ease with the characters that Byrski created that they felt like old friends.
I absolutely loved the concept of how they chose a book a week and related it back to their life. It worked wonderfully. The tone and relevance of the discussions that the characters had about each book flowed flawlessly and at times I was quite taken back by the depth of the conversations and somehow the writing made me reflect on my own life in relevance to what they were talking about.
It had some delightfully funny laugh-out-loud moments, and also some more sombre ones.
I’m not going to talk about the books that they chose because part of the magic of this story was the anticipation of what the book was, the reveal was almost like a climactic event to each character, it would totally spoil it to look them up first. I found myself so excited to see what book each woman chose, and even though I hadn’t read most of them I could still relate to their discussions about it. And then I was surprised that I had actually read the last book, and could relate even more to what they were talking about because I had experienced similar feelings as I had read it.
What a fabulous story, for the young and young-at-heart alike!
Would I recommend A Month of Sundays? Absolutely! There was something wonderful about the writing. I am very interested to give her other books a try.
Many thanks to Pan Macmillan Australia for a copy of A Month of Sundays to review!
Loading...
