All posts by skyebjenner

Knowledge of Medicine by Erin N. Kennemer

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: Knowledge of Medicine
Author: Erin N. Kennemer
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 25th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: And it just kept shining.

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Synopsis

Women are being attacked and no one cares. Until a midwife with a sister in the business starts mutilating the corpses. Will the price for her interference be too high?

Thoughts

Prostitutes seem to feature really highly in unsolved crimes. Or as the victims of serial killers. This short story definitely highlights the reasons why – people just don’t care about this part of the population. Or at least, those in Whitechapel during the murders certainly didn’t. This was immediately highlighted in this tale and definitely made me feel guilty for some of my lack of awareness of some of the modern-day versions of this.

I did love that this story wasn’t so much about the killer, but about the victims. The woman who is featured isn’t actually a murderer at all. But she’s the reason for the belief that The Ripper was a doctor – she’s a midwife and the one mutilating the bodies. She’s also responsible for the letters. Both key aspects that told people a serial killer was on the loose. I actually really liked this form of vigilante justice. Alright, it’s off-kilter and incredibly uncomfortable, but it actually makes sense.

The ending to this story is really tragic. It acted as a reminder as to the final act of the Ripper and highlights the fact the protagonist in this story was the one who was bringing attention to the serial killer. When her will is broken, her chores are. It leaves you with a really horrifying belief that he might have actually kept on killing long after Mary.

 <- Monkeys ReviewThe Monster’s Leather Apron Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Killing Moon by Rebecca York

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover killing moon rebecca york

Title: Killing Moon
Author: Rebecca York
Series: Moon #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense, Werewolves
Dates read: 9th – 24th November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: I got all comforts of home out here.

Synopsis

In the woods, a killer waits, surrounded by the graves of his victims, anticipating his next kill. In the woods, a wolf stalks its prey, surrendering only to the laws of nature, not of man…

Private investigator Ross Marshall has a special talent for tracking – a talent that has helped him locate missing persons when the police’s trail has gone cold. Now his current case has led him to a body buried in an isolated rural area – and a serial killer who is looking for a new victim. But while gathering evidence for the police, something goes very wrong…

The last thing genetic researcher Megan Sheridan expected was to discover her client shot and unconscious. Ross Marshall had requested her lab to run genetic tests on him, but instead of taking a blood sample, Megan found herself tending his wounds. Although frightened by the secrets she knows he is hiding, Megan is compelled to him by a force she can’t explain – or resist. Ross tries to deny the ancient instincts clamouring for him to take Megan as his mate, for to do so would sentence her to a lifetime of sorrow. But now Ross has an even more urgent reason to stay away from Megan: The killer that he’d been hunting has turned the tables – and is now hunting him…

Thoughts

This book was amazing! Which I kind of thought it would be, since I enjoyed the novella in this series so much… what I wasn’t expecting was to walk around for a few days feeling like I just had to get my nose back into this book. That there was no way I could pause and not read it because I really, really wanted to know what happened next. I did exercise self-control and spread this over a few days… just so I could actually pretend to be an adult.

I have my bookshelves sorted into genre… and I’m still not sure where to sit this book. It is currently in paranormal romance, but I feel like it could sit in the romantic suspense section. I’ll probably just have to read the next few books in this series to determine where to put it… not a difficult thing to do at all.

Megan and Ross are a fantastic couple to feature in a romance. They both fight the pull (and who hasn’t?), and then, when they finally do decide to give in… they end up constantly putting themselves into horrible positions just so that the other one can be happy. Or, at least, they tend to stupidly make decisions which then lead to more upset and discord, just because they think that they’re doing the “right thing”. Stupid, annoying and, ultimately, made it incredibly fun to read.

I don’t have the pleasure of often reading books which feature a scientist. But, since I’m within that field, it’s something that I love. Especially when it’s the woman who is the scientist, not the man. There was something fun about the intersection between genetics, murder and mystery that plays against the romance in this story. Definitely one that I will keep reaching for again and again and again.

 <- More Rebecca YorkEdge of the Moon ->

Image source: Amazon

The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the invisible man

Title: The Invisible Man
Author: H.G. Wells
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Humour, Science fiction
Dates read: 23rd – 24th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Cantebury Classics
Year: 1897
5th sentence, 74th page: Finally all the chairs were turnhed up on to the counters, leaving the floor clear.

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Synopsis

This masterpiece of science fiction is the fascinating story of Griffin, a scientist who creates a serum to render himself invisible, and his descent into madness that follows.

Thoughts

I remember first hearing the name Griffin in a TV show called Sanctuary. Griffin is the ancestor of the invisible girl in the story. I knew that it was a reference to classical literature (Griffin’s friends were John Druitt, Nikola Tesla & Dr. Watson), but I didn’t know which story and / or author. So when I started reading this H.G. Wells novel, I literally screamed with joy. I finally got to read the literature that included the character! And it was honestly far better than I had ever expected.

So far in my little H.G. Wells run that I seem to be having this month, this is definitely the most humorous of the tales. There is just something that is kind of sickly hilarious about an invisible man running around, trying to find a way to be “seen” again. There is a very serious undertone, but mostly I just found this funny and easy. It had me smiling at a time that I was really stressing, and for that I’m thankful. I also now have the fantastic image of a naked, sneezing, insane man running around. Which is definitely a weird, funny one to have in your head.

To top off the kind of hilarious imagery of a naked, sneezing man running about trying to find a way to be recognised is the fact that it all takes place in a tiny, quaint town. The juxtaposition is somewhat hilarious and the way it completely turns the world as it is known on its head… completely unforgettable and priceless. Although Griffin doesn’t truly start to crack until halfway through the story, even the lead up, and the slight hints are enough to leave you grinning.

Thus far, this is definitely my favourite H.G. Wells book. Not only is it very witty and humorous, it reminds us that we all need to be acknowledged and recognised. And if we’re not… well, we all go a little bit insane. Definitely a classic that I’ll be picking up again and again in the future.

 <- The Island of Dr. Moreau ReviewThe War of the Worlds Review ->

Image source: Penguin Random House

Witch Hazel by Jeffrey Ford

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover haunted nights ellen datlow

Title: Witch Hazel
Author: Jeffrey Ford
In: Haunted Nights (Lisa Morton & Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror
Dates read: 24th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Blumhouse
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: He’d drink and talk, and I’d listen.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

We wear sprigs of hazel to honour the souls on All Hallows Eve. But where does that practice originally come from?

Thoughts

So I’ve never heard of the practice of wearing a sprig of hazel on All Hallows Eve. Although, I don’t really know all that much about All Hallows Eve (or Halloween) since it is not within my normal experiences. Regardless, I liked this kind of origins story to such a practice. It took a practice that seems cute and folksy… and then turns it into a horrifying mess that makes you cringe. A lot.

The image of a beautiful young woman covered in blood, running around with a Hachette in a forest is pretty much what nightmares are made of. The fact that she kills her dog just expands on the horrors of this. Certainly not an image that I can get out of my head. And the fact that it’s all because there is some weird disease going around? Creepy, creepy, creepy. And blood everywhere.

I did really enjoyed the fact that this story also plays on the superstitions which tend to surround twins. The idea that there is something a little bit evil about twins (sorry to my twin-friends out there). The haunting that they perform and the twist at the end makes me not want to see one of my very good friends for a little while… being that she’s a twin who loves blood and all (she’s a nurse, nothing weird here).

 <- A Flicker of Light on Devil’s Night ReviewNos Galan Gaeaf Review ->

Image source: Amazon

Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover rosa parks

Title: Rosa Parks: My Story
Author: Rosa Parks
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: History, Memoirs, Race
Dates read: 20th – 23rd November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin Books
Year: 1948
5th sentence, 74th page: All this was to keep African Americans from being able to register.

Synopsis

“The only tired I was, was tired of giving in.”

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus, sparking the Montgomery, Alabama, bus boycott. A year later, when the boycott finally ended, segregation on buses was ruled unconstitutional, the civil rights movement was a national cause, and Rosa Parks was out of a job. Yet there is much more to Rosa Parks’s story than just one act of defiance. In straightforward, moving language, she tells of her vital role in the struggle for equality for all Americans. Her dedication is inspiring; her story is unforgettable.

Thoughts

I’ve known the name Rosa Parks for years. It’s just one of those well-known names that you find impossible to forget. I didn’t really know much about her beyond the fact that she was a big mover in the world of equal rights and there was something to do with a bus. So, I was incredibly intrigued to read her biography. And I’m incredibly glad that I did – not only was it an engaging read, but it was also incredibly eye opening.

For someone who knows next to nothing about American history, this certainly helped to fill me in on some of the tensions that are still occurring throughout the country. I’ve been reading a lot of biographies and memoirs lately that seem to fill in this gap, but Rosa Parks: My Story was telling the same tale with no gloss whatsoever. Somehow, her frank, open honesty was so much more intense than any of the other books I’ve read so far. The rest try to politely talk about violence and racism, Parks doesn’t do this. She’s not angry or vindictive, but there is no softening the history and her experiences. As I said, there is just this intense honesty in her writing that I haven’t had the privilege to experience of late.

Although I’m not supremely interested in American history, I would still suggest this book to anyone. It is about race and standing up for yourself. Equality and understanding that you have the same rights as everyone else. Something that effects everyone, world-wide. Some of the racism that is experienced today might be more subtle, but many of Parks’ experiences are still relevant and need to be discussed. Definitely the kind of book I’ll pick up again and again.

<- This Will Only Hurt a LittleFollow the Rabbit-Proof Fence ->

Image source: Amazon

Pack by Jeaniene Frost

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of paranormal romance book cover

Title: Pack
Author: Jeaniene Frost
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal romance, Werewolves
Dates read: 23rd November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: In short, he looked like your typical Yellowstone tourist, not the leader of a secret pack of monsters.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

All she wanted to do was go for a nice, long hike in the mountains. Instead she’s attacked by a werewolf, taken as hostage and quarantined with a man that is just far too tempting for her sanity.

Thoughts

As with all of Jeaniene Frost’s stories so far, I absolutely adored this story. She has a way of writing that combines strong women with difficult situations and a heavy dose of romantic lust that always leaves me with a huge smile on my face. There is just something about this writing that is a poignant reminder of why Frost is one of my favourite writers.

Yet, it’s not all sunshine and roses (again, why I like Frost’s writing)… there is a harsh beginning as the lead female is turned against her will and attacked. A sense of trying to find out who she is in a new world and re figure out how to exist. Many of the paranormal romances I read feature a turning that is unwilling and unwanted. Something which would be dreadful. This still follows that trend (and I kind of expect it from most, because who would really want to be a monster?), but it gives a much happier ending. One that isn’t too sappy either.

This short story, as much as it’s a romance, is all about choice. She gets to choose how to live, there is punishment because her choice is taken from her and the two love interests eventually choose to be together. In fact, the biggest divider for them is the fact that originally she is choosing not to succumb to their attraction…

 <- Pele’s Tears ReviewWhen Gargoyles Fly Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Monkeys by Steve Rasnic Tem

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: Monkeys
Author: Steve Rasnic Tem
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 22nd November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: No, a monkey.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide
Synopsis

Told entirely from the point of view of the victims – a different take on the Jack the Ripper murders.

Thoughts

I love the lower class register that is used in this story from the very beginning. It immediately highlights the fact that the victims of the Ripper were from a lower socio-economic group. Straight away I was drawn into their lives and tone of voice. Something difficult to remove from my brain.

This is one of those retellings that is incredibly disjointed. It works well due to the fact that there was a lot of confusion around the murders. The disjointed, incomplete feeling to this narrative highlights that fact. It kind of left me feeling a little lost and confused – which I think is the feeling that Tem was going for.

This short story wasn’t what I expected at all. I left it feeling kind of confused and a little bit hazy. But in the best way possible…

 <- They All Love Jack ReviewKnowledge of Medicine Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover hold me closer necromancer

Title: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer
Author: Lish McBride
Series: Necromancer #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Humour, Necromancers
Dates read: 22nd October – 22nd November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Square Fish
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: “How’s school going?”

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

NEC·RO·MAN·CY – conjuring the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events

Yeah, you heard me. Conjuring the dead – it sure beats flipping burgers.

Meet Sam, just your average guy rocking that fast-food career.

Enter Douglas, a powerful and violent necromancer. Douglas immediately recognizes Sam as a fellow necromancer – whish is news to Sam! – and Douglas is not happy to have a competitor. Sam is given one option – join forces with Douglas… or else.

Now with only one week to figure out his mysteriously latent powers, Sam needs all the help he can get. Not only does he have an undead friend on his hands and a hot werewolf girl for company, but luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin and find a way out of Douglas’s clutches?

Thoughts

I keep picking this book up and putting it back down. Mostly because I’ve not been entirely sure if it’s what I’m in the mood for. Turns out that this is the kind of book I’m probably always going to be in the mood for. It’s funny, witty and supernatural. Filled with fantastic sidekicks and unforgettable characters. The storyline is also intriguing and filled with twists and turns that I hadn’t expected. This is also really, really addictive. So maybe don’t read it when you have more “adult” things to do… it got me into a little trouble.

The addictive nature of this story is probably why I stopped reading it quite quickly – I have a busy few weeks of work, so getting sucked into an amazing story wasn’t high on my list. However, I did read through it really quickly when I set aside a night to actually enjoy myself… once I got into it, I didn’t want to stop. Actually, McBride is now most definitely on my favourite authors list. Her Firebug series is on my wish list now for the next time I get the privilege of doing a nice book shop…

McBride brilliantly interweaves Sam’s past, future and present together. It has a funny, relaxed, small-town America feel. As he tries to figure out his future, he is also discovering himself, and the past that he never knew existed. Finding out more about what and who his mother is and the ways in which it’s affecting his current life. Oh, and there’s a friend who is now a talking head, which is absolutely brilliant.

This novel has a larger ensemble than I’m used to in a novel. Normally there’s a lead with one faithful sidekick. Instead, Sam has two best friends, a talking head, and a potential love interest in a half werewolf… far less simple. Even the villain isn’t quite typical and tends to have some more off-kilter sidekicks. This is also the most paranormally diverse collection of characters that I’ve had the pleasure to read. Definitely one that I will be sinking my teeth into again and again and again.

<- Death & WafflesNecromancing the Stone ->

Image source: Overdrive

Born to Run by Cathy Freeman

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover born to run cathy freeman

Title: Born to Run
Author: Cathy Freeman
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Biographies, Indigenous Australians, Inspiration, Sport
Dates read: 20th – 22nd November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin Books
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: We pressed them together to signify that we were blood brother and sister forever.

Synopsis

Hi guys,

Ever since I was little I only had one dream – to win a gold medal at the Olympics.

When I was twenty-seven years old, my dream came true. I’ll never forget that night at the Sydney 2000 Games – as I crossed the finish line, it was as if the whole of Australia was cheering for me.

Sometimes I still wonder how it happened. When I was growing up, I felt no different to anyone else. I lvoed having fun with my brothers, sleeping over at Nanna’s and going horse riding with my dad. But I especially loved to run. With the help of my family, coaches and teachers, I became the best female 400-metre runner in the world.

I hope you enjoy my story, and that it inspires you to chase after your dreams, too!

❤ Cathy

Thoughts

I remember watching the Sydney 2000 Olympics as a kid. Remember watching Cathy Freeman light the torch, remember when she won her golds. Although I didn’t understand what the “big fuss” was, I did feel that same national pride as everyone else. What I had never realised was that she wrote a biography seven years later. I only discovered this because I happened to be looking for a book written by a female athlete. And I’m really glad that I did…

This is one of the easiest biographies I think I’ve ever read. It is open, honest and fun. there isn’t a lot of detail throughout the pages, but rather, an outlining of each piece of information as you progress through the years of her life. And it was a far more interesting journey than I was kind of imagining. Freeman not only talks about her love of running and freedom, but she also discusses her thankfulness for her family and the support that she’s received.

Not only is this an inspiring story – it’s also one that is very much about family. There is not a chapter in the novel that doesn’t mention her mother and step-father, father and siblings. Anne-Marie her deceased sister is specifically talked about throughout. It’s not just about the journey and the hard work that Cathy Freeman had to put in to her passions to get to the Olympics. It’s also about the fun, the family and the journey. Something that I can’t forget and will definitely flick through again when I need a reminder that YOU CAN DO THIS!

My biggest regret with this story is the fact that I didn’t know about it until recently. This would have been a phenomenal book to read when I was younger. This is a good insight into a very well known Indigenous Australian and some of the hurdles that she had to overcome because of Australia’s racism.

 <- The Diary of a Young GirlBreathe: A Life in Flow ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

The Night Things Changed by Dana Cameron

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for wolfsbane and mistletoe book cover

Title: The Night Things Changed
Author: Dana Cameron
Series: Fangborn #0.1
In: Wolfsbane and Mistletoe (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy, Vampires, Werewolves
Dates read: 22nd November 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: I exhaled, whistling.

Synopsis

Based on premise of vampires and werewolves running in the same family – an evil free creature to protect the rest of us. This brother and sister though are about to have their entire reality turn on its head as they try and cure the latest evil they’ve come across.

Thoughts

Most stories I read about vampires and werewolves have them at loggerheads. This wasn’t all that different for the fact that the vampire and the werewolf did argue a lot. But it came from sibling rivalry rather than a difference in species and osmosis of species. I love this different take on a classical rivalry. One that I totally didn’t see coming, but really want to sink my teeth into.

The premise of this story is based on the idea that the vampires and werewolves are the protectors of humanity and there are no “evil” versions of their race. I don’t quite believe that there is no such thing as a race completely devoid of a bad apple… which apparently Cameron agrees with, because she creates a villain in this story which is a werewolf gone bad (or vampire, I wasn’t totally clear on what type of being they were)…

I’m so excited that this Christmas short story is part of a bigger series! I can’t wait to see what more happens in the full-length novels. Definitely a series that gets to move to the top of my wishlist – after all, it’s the first stories I’ve ever read where vampires and werewolves are siblings!

<- Lucy, at ChristmastimeThe Werewolf Before Christmas ->

Image source: Hachette Australia