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,

 

Review - Ghost Seer by Robin D. Owens

Ghost Seer
Ghost Seer #1
Robin D. Owens

Published: 22 May, 2014

Berkley Sensation, mass market pbk, 296 p.
ISBN: 978-0-425-26890-2

There's just something about Clare.  Apart from the ghosts...

When her eccentric aunt passes away, no-nonsense accountant Clare Cermak inherits more than just money.  She receives the gift of communicating with ghosts.  While Clare may not believe in sprirts, it's hard to overlook the shadowy talking dog appearing on her bed or spectral cowboys tipping their hats to her in the streets of Denver.  And when she locks eyes with sexy - and living - Zach Slade, there's certainly no ignoring him either.

A former deputy sheriff, Zach is leaving a painful past behind in Montana for a new life in Denver as a private investigator, a job that has him crossing paths with beautiful Clare.  Not the she minds.  After the restless ghost of an Old West gunman demands her assitance, Clare finds herself needing Zach more and more - and not just for help.

Warning: Spoilers ahead!

I was looking forward to Ghost Seer, but I have to tell you right off the bat that, for me, this book did not live up to it's potential.  Like numerous paranormal romance books, the use of psychic powers is nothing new, and inheriting them from another family member is a common device.  So when Clare inherits her abilities from her great aunt there was nothing special about that. . . until you find out that her aunt has left her detailed videos and journals to help her find her way.  This was a great twist, and will certainly prove helpful in future installments in this series I'm sure.

Another 'inherited' item from her aunt was the ghost dog, Enzo.  At first he has a lot of trouble trying to get Clare to admit that she has this ability, but there are times when I think that there is more to this furry ghost than meets the eye.  There are a few moments when even Clare questions his form, so perhaps in future books we will find out what is going on there.

Now we come to the main relationship in Ghost Seer.  Zach is a former deputy sheriff, quit due to an on the job injury, and ends up in Denver interviewing for a PI job.  A grumpy, pain in the buttocks character, he meets Clare and within minutes, she's somehow gotten through the hard shell he protects his emotions with.  Surprisingly, it turns out that Zach too has abilities, but instead of acknowledging them - or seeking medical explainations like Clare - Zach has buried any responsibility, or acceptance, of his 'thing' with seeing the crows.  Perhaps this harkens from a Native American ancestry, but he's so not interested in the supernatural.  Which puts him on a collision course with Clare as she comes to accept the responsibilities her gift has in regards to her future, and that of her family.

With two very prickly main characters, it took me a long time to have any feelings for them.  I'm still not that interested in them.  Zach is very standoffish and angry at the world for all the bad things that have happened in his life, and Clare is in over her head and scattered.  The fact that these two end up in bed relatively quickly is just one of the flaws in this series.  I don't know why authors, who are intending to write a series, throw their characters into each others arms ASAP.  The forced intimacy just doesn't work and they usually come off as cheap and easy.

I did like the batty aunt of the guy that runs the PI business.  She's also got a touch of the sight, and is the first to acknowledge Enzo when in Clare's presence.  Annoyingly, there are only a few scenes with the aunt - and the lady that also lives in the house (but I've forgotten her name!) - as well as a lack of character development in Zach's new boss, who is also tolerant of the paranormal aspects.  The ghosts that Clare runs into, who want her to help them, add to the chaos.  It seems like Ms Owens is trying to push very hard to have her world building done in this first book.  So many things going on that it just gave me a headache.

So while this will probably be the only book I buy in this series, I may pick up the 2nd book at my library just to see whether or not it improves.  Okay character development, and average world building that just couldn't deliver on a promising idea.

Until next time,

 

Top 5 Wednesday - Top Worlds

This week we're counting down the Top 5 Worlds.  When I think of worlds, I think of the amazing world-building in my favourite series that allow you to effortlessly jump into a book or series and not question the environment {people, places, objects, technology, etc} around the characters at every turn.

So in honour of the Top 5 Worlds, I have mentally sifted through the hundreds of books on my shelves and after careful consideration, I finally narrowed it down to my top 5 worlds...

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

The world of Harry Potter is wonderfully imaginative.  I love the idea of a

 magical world hiding from the everyday, Muggle, world. 

Guild Hunter series by Nalini Singh

This is a fabulous series about angels and vampires and Archangels {oh my!}

With a great storyline, amazing characters, action, romance, and every other

emotion from A-Z, the Guild Hunter series is a great way to spend a few hours.

 

Anita Blake Vampire Executioner series by LKH

 The Anita-verse comes in third for world building.  Although I haven't enjoyed

 the last couple of books in the series, the world building has remained

 amazing.  It takes skills to make shapeshifters, zombies, necromancers 

and vampires seem like everyday folk you might share a town with.

 

In Death series by J.D. Robb

With 38 books in the series published - and counting - the In Death series is just

a brilliant collection that revolves around the life of Lt. Eve Dallas, and her husband, Roarke,

in the not too distant future of 2060.  Robb's imaginative ideas of what our world might be like

in 50 or so years is so well done that I almost expect to see some of the tech ;-D 

 

Lord of the Rings + The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

OMG!  The world building in the LOTR trilogy (and The Hobbit) is just so complex

and imaginative.  With languages, poetry and appendices full of information, J.R.R. Tolkien

built a world that is so rich in details that you don't even have to watch the movies to

picture it in your mind.

So that's it for my Top 5 this week.  I hope you enjoyed your stay ;-D.  If you leave a link below to your Top 5 list I'd love to check it out.  Oh, and if you want to join the fun, then head on over to the Top 5 Wednesday page on Goodreads {here}.

Until next time,

 

Review - EON

Eon
Dragoneye Duology, Book 1
Alison Goodman

Pub:  2008

A&R, pbk, 430p.
ISBN: 978-0-7322-9011-5

Under the harsh regime of an ambitious master, candidate Eon is training to become a Dragoneye - a powerful lord able to master wind and water to protect the land. But Eon also harbours a desperate secret - Eon is, in fact, Eona, a young woman who has endured years of disguise as a boy for the chance to practise the Dragoneye's art. In a world where women are only hidden wives or servants, Eona's dangerous deception is punishable by death. 

Still in disguise, Eona's unprecedented talent thrusts her into the centre of a lethal struggle for the Imperial throne. Summoned by the Emperor to the opulent and teacherous court, Eona must learn to trust her power and find the strength to face a vicious enemy who would seize her magic and her life. 

Inspired by the rich myths and traditions of Ancient China, this is a fast-paced, exhilarating page-turner that shimmers with energy dragons, and dazzles with deadly intrigue and breathtaking swordplay.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave..."

After reading rave review after review, I pulled Eon from my TBR pile - where it has been languishing for about 2 months! - and decided to give it a go.  I went into this book with such high expectations that by the time I'd finished it a few hours later I was having a real struggle with the mixed feelings I'd had while reading this book.  Personally, I don't get all the fuss?  It's a good book, but not the mind-blowing amazing read that I'd been expecting after all the online hype.  Was I deceived... or is Eon just not my cup of tea?  That is indeed the question.

Secrets lie at the heart of this book.  Everyone is lying to all and sundry.  If it's not a secret identity, it's a secret agenda, and there is enough political maneuvering that Alison Goodman should go into politics herself!  If it wasn't for the fantasy setting you would have a great political intrigue on your hands.

What I liked about Eon was the interesting world building.  It is clear and concise.  You can see the environment in which Eona and the others are navigating in.  I loved the use of the dragons in this story.  Not powerful creatures to fight, but a necessary partnership for the good of all.  The characters are well developed and are easy to picture, and as every great book needs an antagonist that you just love to hate, Ms. Goodman has ticked all the boxes as Lord Ido is such a hateful, selfish, arrogant and powerful foe that you just can't wait for him to get his just desserts.

But for all the good elements, there were some things that I just either couldn't overlook, or put out of my mind.  I know that the use of the Sun drug was a necessary plot device, but I wasn't impressed with it's use - or the consequences of it misuse in some of the characters.  I'm also not a fan of physical violence against young characters, and was pretty much turned off by the use of such casual abuse by a majority of the characters in this story.   Even the Lord who trained Eona wasn't above slapping her around - all in the name of learning, of course - but it really pulled me out of the story.

So, here I am.  At the end of the review and I still can't tell you whether or not I really enjoyed this book.  I can understand why so many people have raved about it.  The secret between Eona and the Dragons is very special - and unexpected! - and overall the ideas and mythology included was interesting... but would I buy more books if it was a series?  No.  

Perhaps I'm outgrowing YA books after all.  An unusual story, but worth the read.

Top 5 Wednesday - Love Triangles

Hello!  And welcome to my second adventure in the Top 5 Wednesday.  This week we are exploring the Top 5 Love Triangles.   Drawn together by love or lust - or by magical bonds - these are the 5 threesomes that have pushed their way to the top of my list ;-D

#5 Sookie/Bill/Eric

Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris

Although this series finished with a fizzle, the beginning of the series, the love triangle between Sookie with the the vampires fighting for her favour - Bill and Eric - just made great reading.  ;-D

#4 Anita Blake/Micah/Nathaniel

Anita Blake series by LKH

While not Anita's only - or main - threesome, this group is a much healthier pairing of individuals.  Dispite her accidental bonding with Nathaniel (and Damien), that is not the love triangle I'm using.  Instead it is the bond of love that Anita feels towards her Nimir-Raj, Micah, and their leopard Nathaniel that is the recipient of my #4 spot.  There is a real sense of home and family about Anita and Micah and their inclusion of Nathaniel.  No metaphysical or magical ties.  Just of love and friendship.

#3 Stephanie Plum/Morelli/Ranger

Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich

What can I say?  This is my favourite threesome to read about.  However, for some unknown reason I just can't put them at #1.  I love the way that Stephanie just can't seem to choose between her men, and that although Ranger is okay with her relationship with Morelli, Morelli has always been in the dark about the extent of her involvement with Ranger.   Funny and believable - but not epic.

#2 Merry Gentry/Doyle/Frost

Merry Gentry series by LKH

Merry is genuinely in love with her main two men.  There is an incredible bond between them, and I love how they have slowly evolved into the characters they are.  Although I prefer Merry and her Men to my number one, they just didn't have the extremes of feelings that my number one Love Triangle do...

#1 Anita Blake/Jean-Claude/Richard Zeeman

Anita Blake series by LKH

This is not a healthy love triangle by any means, but it is my number one because of the complicated threads that hold this threesome together.  It is not only about love, but survival.  Love, anger, fear, lust, hate and self-loathing are all found in this triumverate.

So, those are my all-time {for now} favourite Love Triangles.  If you want to know more about the Top 5 Wednesday group - or join the T5W family - visit the Goodreads page {here} for more information.  

Oh, and please feel free to post a link to your own Top 5 list as I'd love to see who your favourite love triangles were ;-D

Until next time,