Series Recommendation #01 - Miss Fortune Mystery

Hi there!

It's been a hot minute since I have been able to either film, edit, or upload something.  Today I'm just letting you know about a fabulous series I've recently been devouring and let me tell you, if you are a fan of fun, quirky, fast paced and action packed series with a hint of romance, and laugh out loud moments, then please pick up the Miss Fortune Mystery series by Jana DeLeon.

Would be a fantastic inbetween series for fans of Stephanie Plum.

Let me know in the comments if you have read this series because I am dying to chat to someone about these books and characters ;-D

Anyway, gotta go and hop on to editing the next video (trying to make up for lost time), and until I see you guys next time,

 

Reading Update, November 2018

Hello, my lovelies!

It's been a bit longer than I'd anticipated.  Things are just all over the place here.  At the beginning of last week I undertook the massive task of scrubbing all the floors in the house - and promptly started paying for it with my Achilles troubles flaring up, as well as my back issues roaring back to life... and we won't even talk about what happened with my carpal tunnel.  

Results... clean floor,  but I was stuck in bed for a few days.

This did, however, lend itself to getting some more books read.  I had already earmarked an Agatha Christie or two to pick up, and with some of my most anticipated books coming out, well I was perfectly content to become a hermit for a few days ;-D

Luckily, by the end of the week I was feeling pretty good, and was able to resume normal day-to-day activities.  Picked up some boxed sets of Poirot (series 4, 6 and 7&8 which are combined), and had a great weekend just flaked out on the couch with the AC running (mini-heatwave here in QLD), while I enjoyed revisiting with Poirot.  We won't even talk about the new remake of Murder on the Orient Express, because I just can't.

Anyway, I have some plans for future videos that I'm trying to nail down at the moment.  Still, there's always time to pick up a book, and I have quite a few I'd like to get read before the end of the year - but that's another video ;-D

Thank you for watching, and until I see you next time

 

Book Review: NOS4R2 by Joe Hill

This has been a long time coming!  And because I hate being spoiled, I have made this a quick spoiler free review of how I felt about reading NOS4R2.

I had mixed feelings reading this book.  It was my first foray in to the world of Joe Hill (Stephen King's son if you somehow still didn't know) and I have heard only good things about his other books.

Let me know in the comments what you thought of NOS4R2 if you've read it, or if you are planning to read it.  I'd love to chat about this book.

Anyhow, must dash.  The washing won't hang itself on the line ;-D

And until I see you next time,

 

The Crossing Places | Book Review

The Crossing Places 

Dr. Ruth Galloway Mystery #1

Elly Griffiths

Originally published: 2009

This edition published: 2016

Quercus, pbk (format B), 314p.

ISBN: 9781786481863

A child's bones are discovered near the site of a pre-historic henge on the north Norfolk coast, and the police ask local forensic archaeologist Dr Ruth Galloway to date them.  Are these the remains of a local girl who disappeared ten years ago?

DCI Harry Nelson refuses to give up the hunt for this missing child.  Ever since she vanished, someone has been sending him bizarre anonymous notes about ritual sacrifice, quoting Shakespeare and the Bible.  He knows Ruth's instinct and experience can help him finally put this case to rest.

Then a second child goes missing, and Ruth finds herself in danger from a killer who knows she's getting closer to the truth...

 

After finishing Amy Snow, I really needed something with a bit of an edge to it. Luckily The Crossing Places also arrived in the mail and it was perfect to lift me out of the slight book funk I found myself in.

Dr. Ruth Galloway was such a refreshing character to follow. At almost 40, Ruth is single, overweight, intelligent, unconcerned about her appearance (to a certain extent), and is more into her work than relationships - oh, and she has cats! I really connected with her, and found her to be a refreshing main character. DCI Harry Nelson was exactly what you would expect of a book copper. He's rugged, authoritative, and determined to catch the murderer. I wasn't sure what to think of their one night stand (he's married with 2 almost adult daughters), and yet, they both treat the matter like it was one of those things, and let's move on. Unlike Harry's wife (of the lovely hair, trim figure and outgoing nature), Ruth seems to attract his attention regardless of her rather unconventional appearance (by today's standards). So although I usually don't like books with cheaters in it, I did enjoy seeing a non-typical protagonist attracting the attention of the stern DCI. There are a few other flaky secondary characters that orbit Ruth and Nelson, and I'm hoping they come back in future books as they were a great contrast for these two intelligent, driven professionals.

Of the mystery itself, I was rather intrigued as I do love a good mystery, and if it involves archaeology - even better! I won't rave on about the archaeology, but it plays a large part of the plot line - especially those letters that DCI has been receiving. I twigged to one person, then discarded them. However I was right, but the red herrings placed along the way did a good job of distracting me.

Will definitely be picking up the next books - in fact, I let my fingers do the walking and impulse bought the next two books in the series because Ruth's revelations at the end of The Crossing Places made it too irresistible to pass up. 

★★★★☆

That was my first impression of The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths.  Let me know below what you thought of the book, or please recommend a similar series ;-D

Until next time,

From beneath the sea they came

On Friday I picked up this interesting book, The Blood in the Beginning by Kim Falconer, and on Sunday night I devoured it in one sitting!

The storyline was interesting, fast paced and action packed.  Characters were fleshed out enough that they weren't wooden and one dimensional, and the author's twist on a mer-people species was refreshingly different from the usual syereotypes.  These guys, and gals, are tough as nails, brutal, and as cold as the sea.  Good times ahead for this series I feel.

If you can find a copy I'd recommend giving the Ava Sykes series a go!

Until next time,

Back to Mistborn

Loved the newspaper sections that popped up now and then ;-D

After almost 10 months I finally found myself heading back to the mists, only this time with Waxillium Ladrian, as he hangs up his six shooters for good.

Binge read this in two sessions, and after about 4 hours I was done with The Alloy of Law, and grabbing my copy of Shadows of Self so I could continue on this journey with Wax.

Loved the interactions between not only Wax and Wayne, but their reactions to the intelligent Marasi, the illegitimate sister of Wax's aristocratic, snobby, and very bossy fiancé!

Am hoping as I read these books that Wax ends up with Marasi, but you just never know what Brandon Sanderson intends (think end of Hero of Ages!).

The Alloy of Law: 4 stars

Review: The Virgin Suicides

The Virgin Suicides
Jeffrey Eugenides

First published: 1993 (my edition 2002)

Bloomsbury, paperback (format B), 249p.
ISBN: 978-0-7475-6059-3

The haunting, humorous and tender story of the brief lives of the five entrancing Lisbon sisters, The Virgin Suicides, is Jeffrey Eugenides' classic debut novel.

The shocking thing about the girls was how nearly normal they seemed when their mother let them out for the one and only date in their lives.  Twenty years on, their enigmatic personalities are embalmed in the memories of the boys who worshiped them and who now recall their shared adolescence: the brassiere draped over a crucifix belonging to the promiscuous Lux; the sisters' breathtaking appearance on the night of the dance; and the sultry, sleepy street across which they watched a family disintegrate and fragile lives disappear.

I read this book over the course of perhaps 3 hours last night, and to say I was left feeling unsettled is an understatement.  In The Virgin Suicides, we span the course of a year as we follow the narrator  as he reflects on the memories he has of those fragile Lisbon sisters some 20 years later, and the implosion of their family as the sisters all commit suicide that year.

Now that sounds a bit trite, but the way this book is written - through the eyes of a man reflecting on his adolescent crush on these girls, and how he - and the other boys who adored them, too - have seemingly spent 20 years gathering evidence and taking witness statements from as many people who knew the sisters as possible, gives you a real insight into this families dramatic decline.

After the first sister, 13 year old Cecilia, tries to take her life, you get a hint of things to come in the way this family is structured.  So when Cecilia finally succeeds in killing herself, it sets in motion a chain of events that still leaves the narrator, and reader, wondering. . . why?

Mrs Lisbon rules her house.  She is not demonstratively affectionate (and seems to carry no sense of blame in later interviews) and does not seem to see the withering of her daughters under the iron fist she uses to keep them under control.  They are not allowed to have boys in the house, no makeup, and she even went so far as to pull them out of school.  But was that for their sake as she claimed, or rather for her own selfish reasons?  You never really see a softer, loving side of this mother.

Then we have their father.  He is just lost.  He wanders around in a fog, escaping the house only to teach at the school, never seeming to see the isolation and ostracism his daughters encounter at school - and how they cleaved together in support of each other (or looking back, was it?).  Even the attitudes of the community were amazingly destructive. 

While reading this book I didn't see this as a story about adolescent teenage boys fantasizing over the sisters in general (i.e., didn't matter which sister, they were all beautiful and fragile), but rather as a window into this families destruction witnessed through the eyes of young observers who were baffled, scared, and angry at the treatment the girls endured at the hands of their parents, friends, and community.

Note: I also found the symbolism of a dying elm tree as well as the house and yard falling into disrepair and decline wonderfully reflective of the decay of the family as the year went on.  From suburban paradise, or at least no different to any other house in the neighbourhood, to an almost abandoned shell of a home when it was eventually sold.  Broken, just like this family.

If you are reading this book in the hopes that you will discover answers as to why they died, then you will be disappointed - but I think that is the point.  There are no answers.  You can't possibly know what is going through someones mind as they contemplate this course of action.  You can try to puzzle it out, try to use logic to fit all the evidence together, but there will still be key pieces missing, and the picture will never be complete.

Now it has been at least 10 years since I've seen the movie adaptation with Kirsten Dunst and Josh Hartnett, but I think I'll try to find a copy as this book is something I wish we had read in high school as it is an amazing piece of social commentary about a very taboo topic.  It invites discussion, which is a wonderful thing, and a great way to broach this subject matter.

Will try another Eugenides in the future I think as I found his writing style easy to get through, and well written.  

I hope you enjoyed my thought on The Virgin Suicides.  I'd love to hear what you thought of the book, or movie, did you like it, hate it.  Let me know ;-D

Until next time,

 

Book Review || The Body in the Library

The Body in the Library
Miss Marple #2
Agatha Christie

Originally published in 1942 (Review edition reprinted in 2002)

HarperCollins, mass market, 272 p.
ISBN: 0-00-712083-4

It's seven in the morning.  The Bantrys have awoken to find the body of a young woman in their library.  She is wearing evening dress and heavy make-up, which is now smeared across her cheeks.

But who is she?  How did she get there?  And what's the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry?  The alarmed Bantrys invite Jane Marple to solve the mystery, before tongues start to wag. . . 

Yes, I know I'm so late in reviewing my February pick for A Year of Marple, but honestly I just wasn't feeling it last month.  However, with the lovely stormy weather I'm enjoying for Easter, it is finally cosy mystery time.  So with that in mind, I picked The Body in the Library up last night and powered through, finishing it in one session... yeah me!

I will state right off the bat that I have always loved the TV adaptations of this particular book, however unlike Murder at the Vicarage, I also enjoyed the original story itself.  So it wasn't a great surprise when I had to scramble to find some paper so I could jot down some notes to myself.  Such is the life of a reader.

... and this is why I usually have an old envelope, or two, handy!

The 1950's feel of the book is very much present.  Clothing and class distinctions are very much of the era, which is no surprise given it was written over 70 years ago.  If you are not familiar with some of the rigid, and tightly held to, prejudices of the day, then you may not pick up on some of the underlying, and subtly hinted at, tensions (such as Colonel Bantrys reactions before and after the revelation of Basil Blake's past injury) but it shouldn't detract from the overall storyline if you are not.

In regards to Christie's style of writing itself, one of the things I enjoyed was the multiple POVs - which was surprising as I usually hate that! - and while there are quite a few differences between the TV adaptations and the novel, it wasn't enough that I couldn't cope with the shift in the storyline.  I was, however, quite surprised to see how little a part Basil Blake played in the novel, and yet this character's involvement with Ruby Keene is always at the forefront of any adaptations investigation into who killed the her.  Strange, but true.

Speaking of characters.  I adored seeing more of Sir Henry Clithering.  He is such a dear.  I love this character as he isn't as pompous or arrogant as the other males that deal with Miss Marple tend to be.  The retired former head of Scotland Yard could have been an arrogant cross between Inspector Slack and Conway Jefferson in personality, but instead we have a shrewd yet personable gentleman - just what you need when dealing with Miss Marple.  He understands her, which is a step up from the other neanderthals in the police force, and is demonstrated when he asks her for the "Village parallel, please".  Such a pity that he didn't end up in the 2004 adaptation with Geraldine McEwan.

The other main characters were well done, and played off each other nicely.  There was not one particular character that was horrible, or that I hated - although Inspector Slack comes close as I really do not like his attitude - and yet if you did not know anything about the story, there is nothing to give the culprit away either.  The scene with Basil Blake confessing to Miss Marple about his drunken prank seems to come out of the blue, plot wise, and there is also a few snippets from Raymond Starr that I have never seen in an adaptation.  Was this a very well crafted whodunit, or a story that is missing elements?  I'm still not sure which, but I had a good time anyway.

This would be a great book to start with if you like classic whodunits, or are curious about the Miss Marple universe.  There is more action and odd tangled threads that should appeal to mystery readers. 

I hope enjoyed my review of The Body in the Library.  It was a fun read, and I'd love to know what you though of the book, or any of the adaptations.

The next book in my A Year of Marple is The Moving Finger, which I hope to get up during the week.

Until next time, my lovelies.

 

First impression of Fire Touched

While I'm still waiting for my pre-ordered copy of Fire Touched to make it's way to me - which according to Book Depository hasn't even been printed yet! - so in the meantime, I picked up an eBook copy as I just had to know what Mercy was doing now.  So while I won't be doing an full review until I get that bloody book, I thought I'd do a first impression on the eBook.

As per normal there is another serious rumble within the supernatural community, and once again something magical is trying to upset the apple cart and Mercy happens to be dragged into yet another confrontation.  

On the home front, Christy is still hanging around, and things go down in the pack regarding Mercy that were surprising, but were long overdue when you think about it.  Also, the addition of Joel into the pack is slightly touched on, mainly by a certain sooking wolf or two, but instead of Joel being the focus of the book, as suggested by the cover art, that was only a very small part of the plot, and it instead revolves around a boy who is on the run from just about all the Fae.

A huge plus was the surprise return of a certain grumpy Fae smith, as well as one or two other past characters, and once again there are some new and delightfully hateful characters that Mercy has to deal with from the Fae Reservation.  There is just an endless supply of interesting characters you could have when dealing with Fae, and so far Briggs has made them all interesting and slightly twisted or devious, depending on what their roles are ;-D

There is a major shakeup in the werewolf hierarchy as Bran does something I really didn't expect him to ever do.  And of course there is way more that happens that I'm not telling you about as I don't want to spoil anything for you as I found this to be a fast paced and fun read.  

So in all, while I enjoyed this eBook quite a bit, I'll be much happier when I can read the darn book as eBook format does not really work for me (sore eyes due to staring at a bright screen for hours being the least of it).

For now I'm giving Fire Touched 4 out of 5 paws ;-D

I hope you enjoyed this first impression of Fire Touched.  If you have read the book, let me know in the comments what you thought of it, or what you would like to see happen in the future.

Until next time,

 

Book Review || Warrior's Woman

Warrior's Woman
LySanTer Trilogy #1
Johanna Lindsey

Published: orig 1990 (cover reissue 2010)

Avon, mass market pbk, 422p.
ISBN: 9780380753017

A PASSION THAT COULD CONQUER GALAXIES

In the year 2139, fearless Tedra DeArr sets out to rescue her beleaguered planet Kystran from the savage rule of the evil Crad Ce Moerr.  Experienced in combat but not in love, the beautiful, untouched Amazon flies with Martha, her wise-cracking, free-thinking computer, to a world where warriors reign supreme - and into the arms of the one man she can never hope to vanquish: the bronzed barbarian Challen Ly-San-Ter.  A magnificent creature of raw yet disciplined desires, the muscle-bound primitive succeeds where no puny Kystran male had before - igniting a raging fire within Tedra that must be extinguished before she can even think of saving her enslaved world.

from original back cover, 1990

As strange as it sounds, this was the book that kicked off my love for sci-fantasy as a teenager. I remember borrowing this from my friend in Yr 10 French (thank you, Becca!), and devouring a good portion of the book in that one double lesson.  I loved it, and I didn't want to give it back, but luckily I saw the same book at the local store a few days later and begged my mum to get it for me - and she did.

While it may just be a cheesy romance book to most people, the introduction of the Martha, the AI computer who seems to run Tedra's life, and Corth, a humanoid robot, characters that belong to Tedra DeArr, were the first artificial characters that I'd come across.  Up until then I'd been reading the usual teenage stuff or English required reading, The Outsiders, Picnic at Hanging Rock, etc., but hadn't made the jump into more adult books in my personal reading life.

Included in the wonderful world building are the amazing creatures Lindsey created.  The taraan, sa'abo, fembairs, and the hataar.  These were the first fantastical creatures I'd come across in fiction outside of mythology, and while not a complicated plot to follow, the story just swept me up and let me forget about the world for a few hours.

With Warrior's Woman I got a glimpse into an amazing word where a woman could be strong and tough, and fly through space in search of adventure. It didn't hurt that her soon to be love interest, Challen, was amazing in my imagination, but still, it was far more than just a romance book to me.

Fast forward way too many years. . . 

So now picking this book up and re-reading it with the perspective of an adult, I find that there is still something charmingly naive about Tedra and Warrior's Woman.   Yes, it's sexist in places, and quite cheesy and formulaic to boot, but I still rather like it.  Tedra is still a strong female protagonist, and Martha - although silicon based - is just as feisty.  Corth takes a back seat in the scheme of things, and even bossy-boots Challen will defer to Tedra in some matters.  Quite enlightened for a barbarian.

I loved the contrast between the futuristic Kystran and the feudal/medieval (with a twist) Sha'ka'an cultures.  Shades of A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court there with the culture clash, and this is well demonstrated in the scene where Tedra had no idea what an uncle is despite knowing the word, or when she asks the crystal necklace to change colour to annoy Challen ;-D

It's now many years later, and I still have that original book - now battered and tattered - that sits on my shelf beside the replacement copy I bought.  Warrior's Woman is great book, quick and fast paced, that continues to hold many memories for me ;-D

Oh, and if you're interested, it is the first book in a trilogy.   I won't tell you who the next two books belong to - because that would be a HUGE spoiler ;-D

Until next time,

 

Book Review || Saying Goodbye to Discworld

 

The Shepherd's Crown
Tiffany Aching #5 (Discworld #41)
Sir Terry Pratchett

Published: September, 2015

Random House, hardcover, 352p. (b&w ill.)
ISBN: 9780857534811

“We are all floating in the winds of time.  But your candle, Mistress Weatherwax, 

will flicker for some time before it goes out - a little reward for a life well lived.”

A Shivering Of Worlds.  Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring.  The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots.  An old enemy is gathering strength.  This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power.  Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad.  As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her.  To protect the land.  Her land.  There will be a reckoning...

Ever since I heard of the death of Sir Terry Pratchett last year, I have been torn between wanting to read the final book in the Tiffany Aching series, and not wanting to read the final ever book of the Discworld.  But all good things must come to an end, and yesterday I picked up The Shepherd's Crown to say goodbye.

I enjoyed being back in the world of the Chalk, following Tiffany around as she struggles with the responsibilities left to her after the death of Granny Weatherwax.  The death of this character was totally out of the blue, but was strangely fitting under the circumstances - and it sets in motion the rest of the story.

Before we got to that though, there were two introductions, if you will.  First we got the backstory of the Shepherd's Crown, and then an interlude with a family that was quite out of the blue.

I wasn't quite sure where we were going when the author introduced us to Lord Swivel and his family.  Swivel was such a despot.  The way he treated his 3rd son as an unwanted, and unnecessary, burden... I just wanted to reach into the pages and punch him in the nose!  However, it did set the stage for a small plot that pays off at the end of the book - the chickens (keep that in mind) and the fateful fox hunt.  This is when the neglected son finds his courage to stand up to his father, leaving home and taking his pet with him - much to his father's fury.  This introduction of Geoffrey Swivel was an unexpected twist - and that goat, Mephistopheles!  What a character.  He's like a Feegle on four legs! Geoffrey is not the usual sort of character that one finds in the Chalk, but his unique type of magic plays an integral part in the upcoming fight against a well known foe - the Elves.

After the death of you know who (trying not to spoil you!), Tiffany is run off her broom.  Trying to be everywhere, and do everything herself.  She wants to do everything right, but has to learn when to delegate.  Not something she embraces in a hurry.  Roland is there once or twice, usually putting his foot in it, and we see more of Tiffany's family.  The Nac Mac Feegles are ever present as they try to help their 'big wee hag'.  Still love the Feegles.  They are so adorable, rough, loyal, and funny.   Oh, and there are plenty of quick cameo's by well known figures from the Discworld as news gets out about 'that death', and Tiffany.

Yes, life is changing on the Chalk.

I found reading The Shepherd's Crown to be a strangely sad experience.  It was funny in places, and yet there was the sense that the book was not quite finished.  There was so much more that could have been done with the story... all these little untied threads that now hang uselessly from the Discworld tapestry. 

Until next time,