All posts by skyebjenner

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Overview
Image result for the wind in the willows book cover

Title: The Wind in the Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Classics, Easy reading
Dates read: 2nd – 6th August 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Oxford
Year: 1908
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘When they went,’ continued the Badger, ‘the strong winds and persistent rains took the matter in hand, patiently, ceaselessly, year after year.

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

Synopsis

Join in the delights and disasters on the riverbank with Mole and his new friends, Ratty, Badger, and fun-loving Toad. There’s never a dull moment!

Thoughts

I found this a hard book to get through. Not because it was bad writing, not because it was bad in any way, shape or form. But I just felt like not much was happening. And, since I recently read Mark Twain, which is kind of similar in its rambling manner, I needed something with a bit more direction to it. So, although I didn’t mind this story, it’s definitely one I will be picking up again in the future when I’m more in the mood for this style of storyline.

Part of me was quite surprised that I didn’t love this book more, I remember Toad and Badger incredibly well from the movie I used to love as a child. And, I think, in hindsight, I probably would have loved this book as a child too. I’ve just picked up some incredibly amazing, more grown up books recently, so wanted to read more of those as opposed to a children’s book that was a little disjointed and mostly about a lot of fun between four great funs. Or at least, that’s how I still experience this.

What I loved about the movies as a child, and what I loved about this book as an adult is mostly the fact that this is a story about friendship and loyalty. The four friends, even though they are incredibly different they still stick together. My friendship group is kind of like this myself, we are so intensely different, yet, we’re always there for each other, no matter what the circumstances…

<- The Prophet and Other TalesClassic Westerns: Zane Grey ->

Image source: Amazon

For the Briar Rose by Elizabeth E. Wein

Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: For the Briar Rose
Author: Elizabeth E. Wein
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Family, Gaslamp
Dates read: 2nd August 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: And anyway, he’s decided he’s too old for country life.

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

Her father just wants to paint his Briar Rose series, but he’s not quite sure of how. She just wants to start her new life. In this bittersweet story about growing up and moving on, father and daughter find a new, happy life.

Thoughts

This short story had a very dreamy, bittersweet feeling to it. Which makes sense, because it talks about an artist and is loosely based around Sleeping Beauty. Both topics and things which tend to bring up a quite melancholy feel. Or at least, that’s how I personally find these types of stories.

The imagery used throughout this story was incredibly beautiful. There is something special about the briar rose and a girl sleeping amongst them that just seems universal and unforgettable. The use of this to surround a young girl who is about to enter the world of adulthood through marriage was very beautiful. Not just in the painting of her sleeping figure, but also in her relationship with her soon to be husband. It not only highlights the innocence of youth, but also the fun and beauty of the moments in which we leave our youthful hope and wonder behind.

Unlike the other stories in this collection, For the Briar Rose isn’t filled with any kind of conflict. It doesn’t make you feel in awe of any specific talent or moment. It just makes you think. And for me, reflect on the innocence of being a young girl when everything was still beautiful, shiny and hopeful.

 <- La Reine d’Enfer ReviewThe Governess Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Voodoo Moon by Lori Handeland

Overview
Image result for no rest for the witches book cover

Title: Voodoo Moon
Author: Lori Handeland
Series: Nightcreature #7.5
In: No Rest for the Witches (Mary Janice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Werewolves
Dates read: 1st – 2nd August 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: He had tattoos running up both arms and another winding up the side of his neck.

Synopsis

For Devil’s Fork-based FBI Agent Dana Duran, the only way to fight a supernatural serial killer just may be to embrace life. But little did she know that voodoo could be so viciously sexy…

Thoughts

I’m really surprised that I haven’t read more stories which feature the Voodoo religion. After all, it seems to come up in almost every TV series I’ve watched. Although that’s mostly as a method of killing… I’ve never read a story which has voodoo as the central storyline – one which involves the manifestation of the evil, and the way in which to rid the world of it.

Balance was a key idea throughout this story. It was the imbalance of nature and the world which bought the evil spirit to the small town. And it was recreating this balance (in the most fun of ways) which bought about a happy ending. As someone who has spiritual beliefs, discussions on balance and the way the world twists and turns is so incredibly important, so of course, I just completely lapped up this story. And then started researching how much it was going to cost to get the first few books in this series… because you know, self-control.

Paranormal romance stories which feature a cop of some sort as the lead always capture my fancy immediately. I love criminal shows, don’t read the books as much because I get a little scared, so reading a paranormal version that I know isn’t going to happen to me is a perfect middle ground. The use of a female lead who is an FBI agent investigating some really horrific and confusing deaths… you really can’t go wrong. Now I just have to wait until I have some spare cash to buy Blue Moon and the rest of the series…

 <- The MajickaBreath of Magic ->

Image source: Goodreads

Lifelong Learning

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 3
Hosted by:Bookworm Bitches

There are 3 tasks, you only need to read three books to finish this challenge. Or pick one task and read 3 books for that one task.

September

1. Read a nonfiction book – The Last Rhinos by Lawrence Anthony
2. Read a book with a number in the title
3. Read an intimidating read (an intimidating read could be a long book, a book you’ve hyped up, an emotional or controversial read, a book you’ve been putting off, a book from a genre you don’t usually read, a classic, or any book you’ve found reasons not to pick up) – The High Lord by Trudi Canavan (642 pp.)

Cosplay Cuties – September 2019

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

description

Collect a Cosplay Cutie each month by completing at least 2 tasks out of a set of 6.
A new set of tasks with a new doll will be posted each month.

The dolls you collect will be in your Vampire Heart thread. Don’t have a thread? You can still do the challenge if you want 🙂

Rules 
One book per task.
No minimum page count.
Complete at least two tasks to get the doll.

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description

September 
1. Read a book with magic users in the story. – No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren
2. Read a book with a dress on the cover. – The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair
3. Read a book with the word ‘broom’ in the text. – My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair
4. Read a book with an immortal character. – Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
5. Read a book with demons. – First Blood by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Meljean Brook & Lucy Monroe
6. Read a book with cat shifters.

Historic September

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 7
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

7/7

A number of historical events, both good and bad, small and large, have occurred in the month of September over the years, with just a few of them listed here. Choose 7 of these events and complete the related tasks. You MUST CHOOSE your tasks when signing up.

1. Mary Had a Little Lamb was first published on September 1, 1830.
Read a book with a primarily white cover (show us the cover). – The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

2. Germany invades Poland, starting World War II, on 9/2/39.
Read a book set during World War II.

3. George Eastman received a patent for roll film and trademarked the name Kodak on September 4, 1888.
Read a book whose title starts with a letter in KODAK (disregard A, An, The).

4. Also on 9/4, ten-year old Barney Flaherty became the first newspaper carrier in 1833.
Read a book that is 10th in a series (tell us the series).

5. On September 5, 1698, Russian Czar Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards. 
Read a book with a bearded man on the cover (show us the cover). – The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis

6. Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s baseball iron man record by playing in his 2,131st game on 9/6/95.
Read a book with “21” or “31” intact in the total page count (tell us how many pages).

7. September 7, 1921: the first Miss America beauty pageant was held in Atlantic City, NJ.
Read a book with a lone woman on the cover (show us the cover). – mhttps://earthandskye.org/2019/10/01/my-favorite-witch-by-annette-blair/

8. Star Trek premiered on television on 9/8/66.
Read a book with PARANORMAL or SCIENCE FICTION on the main genre page. – No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

9. 9/11/01: Islamic Al-Qaeda militants flew planes into NYC’s twin World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.
Read a book with a man-made disaster as part of the plot (briefly tell us what, using spoiler tags if necessary). – Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

10. September 12, 1953 was the day future President John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. 
Read a book that includes a wedding. – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

11. Francis Scott-Key composed the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner on September 14, 1814.
Read a book in which music plays an important part.

12. In sports, Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in a battle of the sexes tennis match, 9/20/73.
Read a book with some sort of competition (briefly tell us what). – Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (Josie and Ivy are in constant competition with each other)

Monthly Challenge – September 2019

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 11
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

retro-fonts

Duration
Starts: September 1
Ends: September 30

How It Works
Ten books each month is a lot, so there will be 5 different levels. So pick which level you want to do and that’s how many items you will need to check off.

Levels:
Transitional – 2 books
Fledgling – 4 books
Vampire – 6 books
Master – 8 books
Vampire King or Queen – 10 books

Tasks
1. Classical music month/ national piano month- read a book where music is important or has a musician in it

2. 12th National video game day- read a book with something to do with gaming or the IT ( computer) industry – Sucker Bet by Erin McCarthy (casino gaming)

3. 25th national comic book day- read a book with a superhero (your interpretation) in it or read a comic book/graphic novel or manga – Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

4. 21st Miniature golf day-read a book where sports is important or has an athlete character – My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair

5. 21st International Red Panda day- read a book where animals are important or the cover has red on it – Fantasy by Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly & Elda Minger

6. Back to school-read a book with characters who are teachers/students or set in school – The High Lord by Trudi Canavan

7. 15th Agatha Christie’s birthday- Read a book set in England or tagged mystery

8. 10th Sewing machine day – read a book that has to do with sewing or the fashion industry (including crochet/knitting) – The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

9. Fight procrastination day- read a book you’ve been putting off for awhile or read a book by a new to you author – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

10. 16th National Play doh day- read a book that has an artist MC or that art is important – The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil

11. Bonus Task 6th read a book day-read any book you want – No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

Vampire Academy

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

description
Vampire Academy

Time to get back to school for another year in Vampire Academy.

Duration 
September 1st to 30th

Rules 
Complete at least 2 tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count
You must read a different book for each task

description

♱ Class: Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques 
Read a book with a kick-ass chick or with a battle – No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

♱ Class: Ancient Poetry 
Read a book tagged historical or with an ancient character – Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

♱ Class: Basics of Elemental Control 
Read a book with fae characters or someone with elemental abilities – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

♱ Class: Culinary Science 
Read a book with food on the cover or a cozy mystery

♱ Class: Senior Language Arts 
Read a book originally written in a language other than English or where a character travels – The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

♱ Class: Slavic Art 
Read a book with red or gold on the cover or with a single woman on the cover – My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair

July 2019

Image result for july winter

July was a month that was just filled with being sick, adjusting to a new job and being generally run down. It was kind of a shitty month… but, on a positive note… it was also one that was full of reading. Since I needed something to balance out the horrors of being sick and overwhelmed…

Series

Short story collections

Standalone stories – Novels

Standalone stories – Novellas

Standalone stories – Short stories

Image source: Spotify

Out of the Light, Into the Shadows by Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy

Overview
Image result for out of the light, into the shadows book cover

Title: Out of the Light, Into the Shadows
Author: Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy
In: Out of the Light, Into the Shadows (Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Romance, Short story collections
Dates read: 20th – 31st July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Things from his past erupted into his future, hateful comments, murderous gestures that he’d long buried in an effort to forget them.

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

The darkest hour is before the dawn… headlines a sinful new anthology where the dark and light sides of desire collide…

Embrace the darkness and experience the light in this all-new anthology filled with touching stories of happily ever after alongside smoldering tales of irresistibly dangerous, otherworldly passion. From bewitching emotions and untamed desire to dazzling romance and tantalizing sensuality, these novellas explore the complex facets of the human heart-both the light side and the dark.

Thoughts

This was one of those random books that you just pick up because it looks kind of cool and intriguing. I had no idea that it was part of a series that was already lurking on my shelves and I had no idea of what to expect from the pages of the book. And boy was I happily and pleasantly surprised by everything within its pages! Actually, I’m more than a little disappointed that it’s all over. I just want more!

This is the first of these small novella collections that is only written by two authors. Every other one has had four separate authors creating and weaving their own storylines. And, to add to this, each of the two novellas were directly related to one another. Almost creating a longer mini story with a bit of a break between each. It was certainly a different experience, but one that I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s always nice to experience something a little different.

This collection starts with two stories that are quite a bit more light-hearted and hopeful. They’re sweet and tender, with just a little bit of darkness to the story that draws you in. Then, the next two stories were much darker and twistier. Those sparks of brightness dim a little bit, but just enough to make it a more dark fantasy feeling than the previous stories…

 <- Total Control ReviewHave Mercy Review ->
Image source: Penguin Random House