Top 5 Wednesday - Top Spines

It's amazing to see that with all the effort put into cover art these days, that more often than not the spines are forgotten.  When this topic was picked as this weeks Top 5, I went to my bookshelves to find my favourite covers, thinking that their spines would be great too.  Wrong!  Then it became the mad dash to ransack my shelves so I could find 5 very beautiful - or interesting - spines.  It was tough, but I give you my Top Spines (in no particular order) ;-D

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

I love the simple colours, the Bodleian Library picture is awesome, and the seal and smoke all add that air of mystery that surrounds the story.  It is very representative of the first book in the trilogy.

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

While not on my all-time-favourites list, the spine of the book is very self explanatory.  You have fantasy and dragons.  Enough said.  Love the aged red with the golden eye at the top just staring at you.  Even the dragon down the bottom is gorgeous.

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Just bought this book yesterday so while I haven't read it yet, the spine is as gorgeous as the cover.  Love the blue, gold and red colour scheme that includes those touches of white in the font.  Not sure if it is in line with the story, but definitely looks great on my shelves.

The Lily Bard Mysteries Omnibus by Charlaine Harris

What can I say about this spine?  I love cover art that runs from front to back cover.  This is one of the few hardcovers that I own that does that.  I love the blue tones, and the fact that the dumbbell and feather duster are the symbols that represent Lily Bard.  Thankfully having all five stories bound in one large omnibus has allowed for the cover designer to do the series justice.  Love it!

The Hobbit (Anniversary Edition) by J.R.R. Tolkien

My favourite would have to be The Hobbit.  While not the most colourful, the wrap-around cover makes the most stylized of artwork.  In regards to the spine, I love the simple colour scheme, and the gold embossing used for both the publishers logo, and Tolkien's stylized mark.  From the forrest path to the entrance to the Lonely Mt, this spine shows you the journey that must be taken.  

 

So those are the Top 5 Spines I have in my collection to date.  I hope you've enjoyed this post, and if you leave a link to your Top 5 post in the comment section down below I'd love to see what your favourite spines were.  If you want further information on Top 5 Wednesday - started by the wonderful gingerreadslainey - then head on over to Goodreads {here}.

Until next time,

 

Review: The Eyre Affair

Source: Amazon (not the copy I'm reviewing)

The Eyre Affair
Thursday Next, Book 1
Jasper Fforde

Published: 2002

Penguin, Hardcover, 374p.
ISBN: 0-670-03064-3

from Large Type book

Thursday Next is a literary detective without equal, fear, or boyfriend.  Thrusday is on the trail of the villainous Acheron Hades who has been kidnapping characters from works of fiction and holding them to ransom.  Jane Eyre has herself been plucked from the novel of the same name, and Thursday must find a way into the book to repair the damage.

She also has to find time to halt the Crimean conflict, persuade a man to marry her, rescue her aunt from a Wordsworth poem and figure out who really wrote Shakespeare's first plays.  Together with a cast of characters that includes her time-travelling father, a pet dodo and Edward Rochester himself, Thursday embarks on an adventure that will take your breath away.

This is the cover of the book that I read from my old library {but I forgot to take a photo, d'oh! } but it makes no difference which edition you read as The Eyre Affair is a fast and funny read no matter the cover.  I wasn't sure what to expect when I first came across this book online.  I hadn't heard of Jasper Fforde, hadn't heard of Thursday Next, and was wondering how this book that sounded so interesting had managed to slip through the fingers of everybody I know!  All fired up, I reserved it from the library, but once I had it in my hands I will admit that I got cold feet.  Will it really be as good as the reviews? Can it live up to my expectations?  So it sat on my bedside table for four weeks.  I had to return it, so the night before it was due I started to read.  I shouldn't have waited so long as the answer to all my questions would have been YES!  The Eyre Affair was such fun.  I flew through it and in just 4 hours I'd devoured the entire book and was left wanting more.

Set in an alternate reality (or if you prefer - a parallel universe) circa 1985, where the Crimean War is still raging, and you too can have the latest extinct species as a pet with the latest DNA Kits, SO-27 LiteraTec Operative, Thursday Next, is about to be shanghied into a case that will drive her to the brink.  

The use of a parallel universe was a great way to explain the very drastic changes in history that Jasper Fforde has used as part of the Thursday Next-verse.  England is a Republic, and people fly in dirigibles - how very Steampunk! - and Goliath Corporation seems to be running the government from the shadows. 

My favourite moments from the book usually involved Thursday.  Such a strong, yet troubled, character.  She has her flaws, but they just make her more interesting. Then there is Pickwick.  How original is it to have a pet Dodo?  I can't remember a book where our heroine has had such a fanciful pet.  Okay, Jayne Castle uses Dust Bunnies, but Dodo's were at least real ;-D  Anyway, Pickwick is Thursday's pet - after meeting registration requirements - who is 12 years old.  A Version 1.2 who has no wings (they didn't get the sequencing right till Version 1.7).

Then there is Thursday's father, the now notorious and rogue Col. Next, who was a member of the timetravelling Chronoguard.  He kept popping into her life - and asking such odd questions - that made sense in the context of the story, but when you first meet him, it's a tad strange.

However it's with the super-villan of the story that Thursday really shines.  Archeron

If you love parallel universes, women sleuths, time-jumping fathers, and plock-plocking pets, then Thursday Next is the series for you.  A great start to what I hope is a unique and fabulous series.  

 

2 Reviews - The Red Pyramid and Lord of the Changing Winds

I've got two books that I've finished over the last two days, and instead of giving an indepth review, I've decided to bundle them up and give you a quick rundown of what's what.

First off, is a book that has just been recommended to me time and time again as I watch YouTube reviews - and read other blogs - and that is . . .

Latest order arrives

Hi there!  It's been a little while since I've updated this blog - apart from a review or two - and even when my postie dropped off my latest book order, I still didn't get around to adding a post  ** shameful **  but better late than never so here goes nothing ;-D

As you can see from the pic above, I only received the last four books from 3 separate orders, but they included the two books that I was most anxious to get my hands on, Graceling and Throne of Glass.  I've heard great things about these two books and watched more than a few YouTube reviews, so when I came across them while perusing Book Depository I just couldn't resist.  One of the books, Going Once by Sharon Sala, is for my mum, but Ghost Seer by Robin D. Owens sounded very interesting (and was a much shorter read) that I started it that night.  Sadly to say it didn't quite live up to it's premise {read review here} but thems the breaks.

In the mean time I've read Graceling, and am still gathering my thoughts before posting a review, while Throne of Glass has been put on the top of the TBR pile while I get through some many overlooked library books that are due any day.  Am currently putting together a new list for books to buy - I just can't help myself ;-D - although I may need to buy a 4th big bookshelf to house all the great books I've been wishlisting!

So, that's all from me today.  If you have any recommendations of books you think I should try then let me know in the comments below.

Until next time,