All posts by skyebjenner

Build Your Own Werewolf

Duration: 1st October – 31st December 2021
Number of books: 24
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Last month we had you build your own vampire but we know not everyone likes someone who always seems to be cold or the sight of blood so this month we invite you to build your own werewolf. Your werewolf will be nice and warm although we can’t guarantee their will be no blood especially at the full moon!

You have decisions to make about the final product and for each section you choose which characteristic you want and then complete the task that goes with it. You MUST choose one for the first 7 categories – after that you can choose to do all or only the ones you want.

1. What sex is your Werewolf?
A: Male – Read a book with only a male on the cover
B: Female – Read a book with only a female on the cover
C: Non-Binary (Gender Neutral) – Read a book with no people on the cover
Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke

2. How old is your Werewolf?
A: Under 25 years old – Read a novella under 25 pages
B: Over 25 years but under 100 years old – Read a book between 26 and 99 pages

C: Over 100 years old – Read a book with 100 or more pages
How to Grow a Baby by Clemmie Hooper

3. What color wolf is your werewolf?
A: Black – Read a book with a mostly black cover
B: Grey – Read a book with a mostly grey cover
C: White – Read a book with a mostly white cover
D: Brown – Read a book with a mostly brown cover

4. Can Your Werewolf change at will or only during a full moon
A: At will – read a book with a day scene on the cover
B: Only on the night of a full moon – Read a book with a moon on the cover
C: Only a couple of days before, during and after the full moon – Read a book with a night scene on the cover

Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie

5. Is your werewolf in control during the change?
A: Yes – read a book with a wolf on the cover
B: No – read a book with a monster on the cover

6. How was your werewolf made?
A: Bitten – Read a book where a character is bitten by a wolf
B: Cursed – Read a book with a curse in it
C: Born – Read a book where someone gives birth

7. Can your werewolf partially transform
A: No can only be man or wolf: Read a book with the word wolf in the title
B: Yes can become a wolf, a man or a beast: Read a book with the word beast, monster or something similar in the title
C: Yes they can become a wolf, a man or a dire wolf: Read a book with the word werewolf in the title

8. What kind of relationship does your werewolf have with other wolves?
A: Can join a pack of regular wolves and they won’t notice a difference or reacting – Read a book with a pack of wolves in it
B: Real wolves are subservient to the werewolves – Read a book with a power structure between characters
C: Real wolves are afraid of werewolves – Read a book tagged horror or thriller
The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods

9. Upon death does your werewolf resort to human form?
A: Yes – read a book with a human on the cover (no animals)
B: No – read a book with an animal but no humans on the cover
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

10: Does your werewolf heal faster than a human?
Yes: Read a book with a medical character in it
No : Read a book where a character is hospitalized
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

11: Does your werewolf have super strength?
Yes: Read a book whose author’s first and last letter are the same
No: Read a book whose author’s first and last letters are in super strength
Cowboy and the Captive by Lora Leigh

12: Does your werewolf feel the need to mark their territory?
Yes: Read a book with an outdoor scene on the cover
No: Read a book with no nature on the cover
My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr

13: Does your werewolf have golden eyes like a wolf?
Yes: Read a book with eyes on the cover
No: Read a book that has no eyes on the cover
Beard with Me by Penny Reid

14: Is it easy or hard for your wolf to transform?
Easy: Read a book whose title starts with the letter E
Hard: Read a book whose title starts with the letter H
Hot Summer Nights by Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy & Jessica Clare

15: Is your werewolf enemies with vampires or do they get along?
A: They get along: Read a book with a vampire in it
B: No they hate each other: Read a book with several types of supernaturals

C: They don’t care either way: Read a book with no supernaturals in it
Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

16: Is your werewolf an Alpha, Beta, Omega or Lone wolf?
A: Alpha – Read a book with an alpha MC
B: Beta – Read a book where the MC follows or is subservient to another character
C: Omega – Read a book where the MC is empathic
D: Lone – Read a book where the MC is a loner

17: Can your werewolf communicate mind to mind with other werewolves?
A: Yes – Read a book where a character has a psychic ability
B: No – Read a book with an MPG of contemporary
A Beardy Bonus by Penny Reid

18: Does your werewolf destroy it’s clothes if it shifts?
Yes: Read a book with a mostly naked person on the cover
No: Read a book where a person on the cover is fully clothed
Dawn’s Awakening by Lora Leigh

19: Can your werewolf be killed with a silver weapon?
Yes: Read a book with a weapon on the cover
No: Read a book with all the letters of silver on the cover

20: Does wolfsbane affect your werewolf?
Yes: Read a book with a plant or tree on the cover
No: Read a book with water on the cover
Live and Let Grow by Penny Reid

21: Is Your Werewolf Romantic?
Yes: Read a book with a red cover
No: Read a book with a black cover
Queene of Light by Jennifer L. Armintrout

22: Does your werewolf live in the forest/wood area?
Yes: Read a book with trees on the cover
No: Read a book with a cityscape on the cover
The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Kay O’Neill

23: Does your werewolf like to cuddle?
Yes: Read a book with an embrace on the cover
No: Read a book with more than one person on the cover but they aren’t touching each other
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

24: Does anyone know you have a werewolf?
Yes: Read a book with an an MPG of Paranormal
No: Read a book without Fantasy or Paranormal as an MPG
Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh

The Graveyard Queen

Duration: 1st October – 31st December 2021
Number of books: 30
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

The Graveyard Queen

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The Graveyard Queen is bound to her duties to restore the beauty and grandeur of the resting places of the dead, and aid the restless spirits to find peace in their next life… You must travel around the world to the most historic and haunted cemeteries and complete these reading challenges to earn your Vampire Heart.

Rules:
~ Read a minimum of 10 books to receive the Vampire Heart.
~ Rereads are allowed
~ No minimum page count
~ One book per task
~ All genres are welcome

Duration:
3 Months

 Highgate Cemetery

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London, England…Founded in 1839… Said to be haunted by a man in a Victorian suit with red mesmerizing eyes… Vampire?

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book that takes place in England. – Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie
2. Read a book tagged historical or steampunk.
3. Read a book with a MC who is a vampire. – Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh
4. Read a book with red eyes on the cover.
5. Read a book with a character you would describe as mysterious (Perhaps someone the reader is not given a great deal of information about early on). – Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

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Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

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Midlothian, Illinois… First recorded burial was in 1844… The woman in the above picture known as the “Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove” was taken by the Ghost Research Society of America… The apparition, not visible to the naked eye, appeared only when photographed.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a character who can see and talk to ghosts.
2. Read a book with only a woman on the cover. – Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke
3.Read a book with a character whose profession centers around photography (journalist, photographer, ghost hunter, etc.). – The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods (Moira)
4. Read a book tagged mystery.
5. Read a book with a cemetery on the cover. – Your Coffin or Mine? by Kimberly Raye

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Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery

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Edinburgh, Scotland… Interring bodies since the 16th century… Said to be home to a malevolent poltergeist known as the “Mackenzie Poltergeist”… Over 400 reported cases of supernatural phenomenon have been reported including cold spots,scratches, bruises, and faintings.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a poltergeist in it.
2. Read a book with a Scottish character.
3. Read a book where someone is possessed. – Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
4. Read a book with blood on the cover.
5. Read a book tagged horror.

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 Catacombs of Paris

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Paris France… Dates back thousands of years to the Merovingian Kings; fully used in 1785… Estimated to hold over 6 million bodies… In 2010, a video camera was discovered depicting a man lost in the catacombs … His body was never found.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a skull on the cover.
2. Read a book in which the characters must travel through tunnels OR underground.
3. Read a book with royalty in the story.
4. Read a book with a character who is a necromancer.
5. Read a book with a character who gets lost OR with a missing persons case as part of the storyline. – The Answer to the Riddle is Me by David Stuart MacLean

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 Saint Louis Cemetery

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New Orleans, Louisiana… Interred first body in 1789… Home to the voodoo priestess Marie Leveau who is said to haunt the grounds along with a 19th century pirate, Henry Vignes, as well as a spirit known only as Alphonse who warns visitors against going near the Pinead family plot.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a character who is a voodoo priestess.
2. Read a book with a title that begins with a letter found in MARIE LEVEAU. – Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid
3. Read a book set in New Orleans.
4. Read a book with a pirate OR with a body of water on the cover. – Hot Summer Nights by Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy & Jessica Clare
5. Read a book where a character is cursed.

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Howard Street Cemetery

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Salem, Massachusetts… One of three cemeteries significant to the 1692 witch trials… The most famous ghost is said to be Giles Corey who was put to death on the grounds after not pleading guilty to witchcraft… He is said to appear before a terrible event as an omen of the horrors to come.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a MC who is a witch/wizard or a sorcerer/sorceress.
2. Read a book with a wand, broomstick, witch’s hat, black cat, or potion on the cover.
3. Read a book with a MPG of magic.
4. Read a cozy mystery. – Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid
5. Read a book set in a small town or village. – Beard with Me by Penny Reid

August 2021 Reading

August list of weekends in Ukraine - August list of weekends in Ukraine -  112.international

August is cold and miserable. But, it’s also the month that my sister is born in, so I kind of like it. And, it also means more hours inside, curled up under a blanket with a good book and my dogs…

Non-fiction

Series

Short story collections

Standalones – Novels

Standalones – Short stories

Image source: 112.international

In the Future When All’s Well by Catherynne M. Valente

Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: In the Future When All’s Well
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 31st August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: It’s all random.

Synopsis

Vampirism has become a daily occurrence – there are those in the high risk, those who just break the rules… but eventually a whole lot of people get turned. The future is showing us a whole new reality.

Thoughts

I liked the idea of this future world in which vampires are running free. And that they’re just kind of the next, logical evolutionary step to the pyramid. The fact that it’s also written all around the perspective of a teenager just works all that much better. After all, all of the stories at the moment surrounding vampires seem to be very young adult centred.

One of the aspects I liked most about this story was the idea that those in the “high risk” category were considered different and amoral. It’s the same fear mongering that you see again and again throughout society. Which made me smile. A great reflection on society as we know it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this short story. It was a unique idea, but one that I felt kind of had merit. After all, there is definitely scientific support for the idea that we are all evolving into a new version of “humanity”, who’s to say it isn’t going to be as blood suckers?

<- BabyTransition ->

Image source: HarperCollins

Pack of Thieves? 52 Port Arthur Lives by Hamish Maxwell-Stewart & Susan Hood

Overview
Pack of thieves? : 52 Port Arthur lives

Title: Pack of Thieves? 52 Port Arthur Lives
Author: Hamish Maxwell-Stewart & Susan Hood
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Australian history, Crime, Non-fiction
Dates read: 15th – 30th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Port Arthur Historic Sites
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: On the same day he was punished with a beating of one hundred strokes for breaking gaol while awaiting trial – he had been recaptured by the guard at Eaglehawk Neck.

Synopsis

George Arthur, Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land from 1824-36 is credited with constructing an intricate system of convict management. The idea behind Arthur’s grand plan was that convicts would sink or rise through the tiers of his multi-layered system according to their conduct. Thus, the intention was that the wicked would be punished for their sins and the good rewarded for unerring servile toil. In 1830 Arthur ordered the construction of a new penal station on the Tasman Peninsula named Port Arthur in his honour. This was to be the foundation stone of Arthur’s scheme for regulating the lives of his colonial charges – a place to which prisoners incurred the wrath of the convict administration could be sent as a lesson to all.

Arthur likened his convict system to a prison without walls. This was because the lives of ordinary prisoners were regulated by paper work rather than guard towers and iron bars. Every detail that could be gleaned about a convict was entered into a set of enormous registers which ere used to separate those considered worthy of indulgence from those whose conduct was thorught to merit further punishment. At times Arthur appeared to sit astride his system like a colonial puppet master pronouncing judgement on his charges.

This book charts the lives of 52 prisoners who served time at Port Arthur in the 1830’s. It looks at the impact of transportation upon their lives and charts the ways in which they negotiated a passage through Arthur’s labyrinthine penal colony.

Thoughts

After visiting Port Arthur, this was a fun and easy read. It was also seriously fascinating. If you read it in parts. I mean, most of the stories were someone stole something, they got sent to Port Arthur. And repeat. But then some of the daring just had me smiling… you can’t predict human nature after all.

All in all, this was an interesting journey into the world of Australian history. But, like most Australian history, it was a bit white-washed and turned softer. I remember visiting Port Arthur fifteen years ago, and the stories that you were told were a lot more honest and gritty. Not like the ones that are told now…

<- More non-fictionMore Australian history ->

Image source: Abebooks

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

Overview
Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy, #5) by Ilona Andrews

Title: Emerald Blaze
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Catalina Baylor Trilogy #2, Hidden Legacy #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense, Strong women
Dates read: 23rd – 29th August 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2020
5th sentence, 74th page: Sink some magic into it.

Synopsis

Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, continues her spellbinding series set in the Hidden Legacy world where magic controls everything… except the hearts of those who wield it.

As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers – powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart.

The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won’t rest until she stops to use of the illicit, power-granting serum that’s tearing their world apart.

Thoughts

Ilona Andrews is one of those authors that I pick up strategically… because I can never seem to put her books down. And I generally get a really bad book hangover once I’ve finished it. Emerald Blaze was no different. It was wonderful and impossible to put down. It was amazing and now I’m honestly a little bit pissed off that I have to wait until the next Catalina Baylor book to come out…

The more I find out about Catalina’s power and her own personal battles, the more I fall in love with her. Like all of Andrews’ heroines, she is intrinsically flawed. But, for Catalina, the biggest challenge she often faces is that she’s an introvert thrust into an extroverted position. The fact that she also has to battle her big, bad, evil grandmother… yeah, I can’t wait to see how that unfolds in the final book in this trilogy. She goes from strength to strength, but at what cost? It’s a beautiful question that you’re constantly wondering, even as you hope that the battle that Catalina and Alessandro face turns out… good in the end.

The ending of Sapphire Flames leaves a perfect cliff hanger in the feeling of who and what Alessandro actually is. Alessandro’s backstory, a bit like Catalina’s, is bought to life even more throughout the pages of this book. I actually wanted to reach through the pages of the book and hug him. It helped to strip back the arrogance that is so prominent in the other books, and, although you were always gunning for a happily ever after… this book makes you want it all that much more. I can’t wait until they get their sail off into the sunset ending (like Nevada and Rogan did), but as previously mentioned… now I have to wait (can you tell that I’m finding that quite disappointing?).

This is the most amazing of stories. I think I sat there staring at the wall for about 2 hours before I was capable of conversing too much or reading anything else. You know that the book is damn good when you are just… paralysed with the enjoyment of what you’ve read. When you can’t quite seem to get the adventures of the pages out of your head.

<- Sapphire FlamesRuby Fever ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Gap by Benjamin Gilmour

Overview
The Gap by Benjamin Gilmour - Penguin Books Australia

Title: The Gap
Author: Benjamin Gilmour
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Medical, Memoirs, Mental health
Dates read: 22nd – 25th August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Viking
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: I lean down beside our patient and speak in a whisper so no one will hear.

Synopsis

Benjamin Gilmour has been a paramedic for more than twenty years. He has seen his fair share of drama. But the summer of 2008 remains etched in his memory for the very worst reasons.

In this riveting memoir, Gilmour recounts the call-outs that summer: some dangerous, some gruesome, some downright ridiculous. And we meet fellow paramedic John who, they say, can get a laugh out of everyone except the dead. As they city heats up, however, even John begins to lose his sense of humour. People are unravelling – and Benjamin and John are no exception.

The Gap is a vivid portrait of the lead-up to Christmas; an unflinching, no-holds-barred look at what happens after the triple-zero call is made – the drugs, nightclubs, brothels, drunk rich kids, billionaires, domestic disputes, the elderly, emergency births, even a kidnapping. Patients share their innermost feelings, and we witness their loneliness, their despair and their hopes. 88 BB Beautifully written and sharply observed, The Gap exposes the fragility of our lives and the lengths that paramedics will go to try to save us.

Thoughts

I honestly just bought this because I needed a book with an ambulance on the cover. I really didn’t expect this to be such an amazing emotional rollercoaster ride. It was just… words can’t describe. I just don’t have the words to describe what it felt like to read this book. There’s such a potent emotional ride that had me reading this story until late in the night. Bated breath and eyes burning.

I knew that being a paramedic is an incredibly mentally taxing career. I know a few people who work in the field and the mental toll that it can take on a person. But, Gilmour’s words add a whole other layer of context to this reality. It provides faces and personalities to an issue that we all know is there. Provides a face to the trials, tribulations and tragedies of paramedics and those working within the health sector. It also kind of broke my heart throughout as I read about the daily life and experiences of Benjamin and his partners.

The title didn’t really mean much to me at the beginning of this novel. I mean, cool, it’s called The Gap, but that meant literally nothing to my brain. Then I read the opening paragraphs – and the title began to make much more sense. Which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. I mean, you knew some of this was going to be a tough read because it’s about a day in the life of a paramedic. When there is a spot that he is frequently called to that is known for suicides…it’s going to be a whole new kettle of fish and difficulties.

I’ve been on a good run of books lately. Read a few that, once I close the final page, I just lie there, staring at the ceiling. This was most definitely one of them. Although Gilmour deals with the very serious issues of mental health and wellbeing, there is humour and light throughout his words. Some incredibly difficult real world realities are faced up to, but they are paired off with some of the more ridiculous adventures of the paramedics. It shows you that whenever there is dark, you can also find some light.

<- CommittedBits and Pieces ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Things I Wish I’d Known edited by Victoria Young

Overview
Things I Wish I'd Known, Women Tell the Truth About Motherhood by Victoria  Young | 9781785780370 | Booktopia

Title: Things I Wish I’d Known
Author: Victoria Young
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Memoirs, Pregnancy
Dates read: 15th – 28th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Icon
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: And it is that now, I have finally come to love my breasts.

Synopsis

Things I Wish I’d Known sees some of the most brilliant writers reveal the truth of what it’s really like to be a mother.

Look inside many parenting books and what do you see? Advice about how to be a glowing mother-to-be and how to rear pristine, beautifully-behaved children. But the reality is, your pregnancy might be a sweaty, moody rollercoaster; your children and you will almost certainly spend the first few years of their lives covered in food, tears and worse, and you may spend the first few months of motherhood wondering where the heck your old life has vanished to. Not to say that the experience isn’t still magical, of course!

In this no-holds-barred collection of essays, prominent women, including Cathy Kelly, Adele Parks, Kathy Lette and Lucy Porter (and many more) explore the truth about becoming mothers. Packed with searingly honest writing about everything from labour to the Breastapo, twins to single parenthood, weaning to post-birth sex, Things I Wish I’d Known is a reassuring, moving and often hilarious collection that will speak to mothers – and mothers-to-be – everywhere.

Thoughts

I’m obviously feeling a little bit anxious about become a first time mum. I mean, I don’t really know someone who isn’t when they find out that they’re expecting for the first time. Which made this a seriously happy and comforting book to read. Rather than waxing on and off about how amazing motherhood is, this book is far more realistic.

Each chapter of this book is beautifully written. It deals with a multitude of realities and experiences. And, honestly, it just highlights the fact that every single parent, every single child, every single experience is different. Again, something that I found seriously comforting. I mean, it just shows that when all of your experiences are different, none of you is actually doing anything “wrong”.

Not only is this book serious in places and filled with information. It is also filled with humour. And the oddities of parenthood. It doesn’t stay stuck on ideas of what is proper, right or wrong. Rather, it focuses on a reality of… well, real life. Real life isn’t perfect and picturesque, but it is fun and worth doing. Which is the overarching message I got from this book.

I absolutely adored and devoured this book. It helped me feel a little more settled about what is to come, which, when you’re growing a human being, is kind of seriously helpful…

<- Bad GroundBlack Dragon River ->

Image source: Booktopia

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason

Overview
The Clockwork Scarab (Stoker & Holmes, #1) by Colleen Gleason

Title: The Clockwork Scarab
Author: Colleen Gleason
Series: Stoker & Holmes #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Historical fiction, Steampunk, Time travel
Dates read: 22nd – 23rd August 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Chronicle Books
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: I couldn’t imagine what it would be like not to have any adults about, meddling in my daily life.

Synopsis

“Tonight, I ask, on behalf of Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Wales: will you do what no other young women are called to do, and place your lives and honor at the feet of your country?”

Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood, so to speak. And when two young society girls disappear – one dead, one missing – there’s no one more qualified to investigate. Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve a murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The pressure is on and the stakes are high – if Stoker and Holmes don’t figure out why London’s finest sixteen-year-old women are in danger, they’ll become the next victims.

Thoughts

This is one of those books that’s been on my wish list for ages – I finally managed to find a second-hand copy. And, from the very moment I received it… I was kind of desperate to read it. Turns out that my instincts were correct. This book is amazing. I love how it takes elements of steampunk, historical fiction and two very well-known literary figures to create an amazing storyline.

Having read both Dracula and Sherlock Holmes, I was intrigued by the idea of Stoker & Holmes as a team. What I didn’t expect was Irene Adler appearing at the very beginning of this story. That somehow, Gleason would manage to incorporate some of the best aspects of the original classics, without making it all feel like a total repeat. There was a great sense of fun and uniqueness that swept me away and left me smiling very happily as I dived further and further into this amazing world that Gleason has created.

Although this was a steampunk, this story had very much a cozy mystery feeling to it. I’m not quite sold on it sitting upon that shelf, but there is definitely that kind of feel to it. This story makes you constantly wonder who the culprit is. And you wonder how the women are going missing and why. But, you don’t really get that graphic, horror feeling that you would get from an actual mystery or thriller. You also get the fast-paced adventure feel of the Sherlock Holmes stories.

I loved this novel from beginning to end. It was fun and filled with a great setting. The mix of steampunk and historical / literary fiction worked brilliantly together. Then, there is the great characterisation of the two girls. Taking some of the character points from Holmes and Dracula, but spinning them into their own women who are capable of being strong and independent. I can’t wait to see how much further this story takes me and, ultimately, who the Big Baddy is.

<- More Colleen GleasonThe Spiritglass Charade ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris

Overview
The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris - Penguin Books Australia

Title: The Truths We Hold
Author: Kamala Harris
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Memoirs, Politics, Race
Dates read: 18th – 22nd August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Vintage
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: She cared a great deal about making our apartment a home, and it always felt warm and complete.

Synopsis

The extraordinary life story of one of America’s most inspiring political leaders.

The daughter of immigrants and civil rights activists, Vice President Elect Kamala Harris was raised in a California community that cared deeply about social justice. As she rose to prominence as a political leader, her experiences would become her guiding light as she grappled with an array of complex issues and learned to bring a voice to the voiceless.

Now, in The Truths We Hold, Harris reckons with the big challenges we face together. Drawing on the hard-won wisdom and insight from her own career and the work of those who have most inspired her, she communicates a vision of shared struggle, shared purpose, and shared values as we confront the great work of our day.

Thoughts

The last few years I’ve been somewhat fascinated by American politics. After all, they inform our own in some of the worst ways possible (and I’m sure in some good ways, but still…). The fact that Kamala Harris is one of the first women to not only hold such a high office but is of mixed heritage… it was fascinating.

I really enjoyed this memoir. However, it did really read like a political dossier. Each chapter discusses a different political issue and fight. And, considering this was written and published before the election… it kind of makes sense that it’s a well written and engaging drive for election.

Unlike a lot of memoirs that I’ve read, this didn’t really follow a chronological order. As I mentioned, each chapter focuses on a different political and social fight. Harris is able to bring in her own past experiences and journeys to the different topics. That way, by the time you’ve finished her book you feel like you’ve had a good autobiographical overlay, even if it was a little out of order.

I really enjoyed Harris’ approachable tone of voice throughout this. She dealt with some very heavy topics that I didn’t necessarily want to delve too far into. But she did it in a way that you didn’t get bogged down in the politics and horrors that our world is facing… she managed to walk that line beautifully.

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Image source: Penguin Books Australia