Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019 Number of books: 6 Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession
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
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…
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.
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…
Title: John Doe Author: Anna Windsor In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Angels, Paranormal romance Dates read: 31st July 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2009 5th sentence, 74th page: She took a deep breath, knowing he needed to understand everything.
Dutch knows that there are dark things in the world. What she doesn’t expect to find is love when the man who is supposed to protect her from them shows up at her psychiatric ward.
The most disappointing aspect of this story was that it was
so short and it isn’t part of a greater series. I know, a pretty common
complaint for me. I always love when I read a really good short story and it
turns out that there’s a whole series that I can stick my greedy little literary
nose into. But the premise of a half-angel and her protector (who also happens
to be her lover) was incredibly fun. And it was seriously disappointing when I
found out that it was a standalone – there was just some incredibly brilliant
world building going on!
In July I seemed to read a few stories which feature psychiatric
facilities and asylums. A bit of a random theme, but it worked really well in John
Doe. After all, Dutch finds out that there are far more serious things
going on in the world than she had ever anticipated. Add that to the fact that
she lives in isolation from everybody and is celebrating her thirtieth birthday
alone… it worked really well to make Dutch seem like she’s lonely and unsure as
to what she wants to do with her life. The appearance of Shant changes that
all. And injects this amazingly fun and sassy side of the lead that I really
wasn’t expecting.
Most of the paranormal romances I’ve been reading lately feature
the couple for the entirety of the story. This tale on the other hand doesn’t
have the male love interest in it for as long. He goes missing for a fair while
and then returns towards the end. The period of separation though worked
beautifully for the structure of this tale and I loved the slight department
from what I would consider a more traditional tale.
Title: Journey to the Centre of the Earth Author: Jules Verne Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Book to Film, Classics, Easy reading, Science fiction Dates read: 30th – 31st July 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Kingsford Editions Year: 1864 5th sentence, 74th page: I got up from my granite bed and went out to enjoy the magnificent spectacle that lay unfolding before my eyes.
Professor Otto Lidenbrock’s great adventure begins by chance when a scrap of paper drops out of an ancient book he has just bought. The coded inscription reveals the existence of a passageway leading to the centre of the earth and that the entrance lies within the crater of an extinct volcano in Iceland.
The professor travels to Iceland accompanied by his nephew, Axel, a keen young geologist. Together with a Swiss guide, they descend into the bowels of the earth where an amazing prehistoric world awaits them.
Writting in 1864, Journey to the Centre of the Earth established Verne as a pioneer of science fiction. This edition has been revised and improved for a modern readership.
This is my second Jules Verne story and, if anything, I think it was better than the first. I kind of loved it. It was incredibly fun, engaging and the voice of the narrator was incredibly relatable, even today. The mad scientist for an uncle, the lovestruck nephew (and narrator). Everything about this story and voice drew me in from the very beginning. Which is why I read it so quickly – the voice that told such an incredible story was impossible to get out of my head, even now.
I must admit, I generally skim read classics a little more
than the more contemporary and modern tales. Simply because the amount of
information that reading every single word provides tends to overwhelm me and I
find skim reading stops me from getting bogged down in the details, without
losing out on the storyline. The last quarter of this novel, I did skim read a
little. But, mostly, I actually read every word like I would with most other
novels I pick up. There is just something about the storyline and writing that was
far more approachable (maybe because it was translated), and I actually didn’t
want to miss a single moment of the storyline.
My biggest problem with this storyline was the fact that I
kept on picturing Brendan Fraser in my head when I was reading the story. I’ll
give you a hint, the book and the film, not really like one another at all. Normally
that would bother me a little and I would find that I prefer one over the
other. But I think that the adaptation and the original are both brilliant,
equally so. After all, the movie is a modern adaptation and the book was
written in 1864. There are many different aspects which make both versions
amazing and impossible to put down.
I can’t wait to reread this story in another year or so. I
know that there will be so many more themes and aspects in the storyline that
I’ll pick up on and that will make me fall in love again and again. After all,
that’s one of the things that I love most about classics – they have so many
layers and hidden meanings that take me much longer to find and enjoy.
Title: Hounded Author: Kelley Armstrong Series: Cainsville #4.5 In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy Dates read: 31st July 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Gallery Books Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: She dove under and pretended to snatch his feet as he kicked.
He’s a huntsman and his Hound has been taken from him. He may have found a way to find a new one, but at what cost?
I was kind of thrown by how creepy this story felt. I know
that it was going to be a bit off-kilter since it was in a collection of tales
about villains from bigger series. What I wasn’t expecting was to go from really
liking a character to feeling seriously uncomfortable about their entire
existence. And reason for being. To close the last page and not only want to
pick up the series, but to also not ever want to confront this rogue Hunter again.
To begin with, I was expecting this story to be a tale about
a misunderstood villain. Or at least one who did have a nicer, softer side. And
it started off in this fashion. Although he was obviously not a “good” guy, he did
miss his hound and have a sense of yearning for what he had lost. He was also
quite obviously hunting a woman who was not in any sense of the word “good”. Her
inability to consider others, her belief that she was the victim and the ways
in which she approached those who spurned her. Well, I started to think that
this woman was the actual villain and one that I didn’t really want to have
much exposure to.
Normally I love tales of poetic justice. Tales which highlight
that no wrongdoing goes unpunished, and that there will somehow be a form of
revenge. This short story did stick to that ideal, but it wasn’t in the normal
format that I enjoy. Because the person who was serving the poetic justice was
also the one pushing the wrongdoer and committing sins even greater. And, in my
opinion, far more heinous.
Title: His Last Victim Author: K.G. Anderson In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Crime, Historical fiction, LGBTQI Dates read: 31st July 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2015 5th sentence, 74th page: After all, his brother, a member of my dressing club, was the friend who’d told me about the opening with Scotland Yard five years ago.
The police really want to catch the Ripper, and one man decides to embrace his secret side to do so. But, at what cost?
I really wasn’t expecting a tale of a cross-dresser in a collection
of Jack the Ripper stories. Like, at all. Although, to be fair, I rarely expect
to come across such a tale, so when you’re reading about historical fiction and
retakes on a notorious serial killer… there isn’t much that could be farther
from my mind.
I enjoyed the idea of a man dressing as a woman to try and
catch one of the worlds’ most notorious serial killers. The fact that the man
who stops it all is also one of this ilk and grouping just made it all the more
fun. Actually, I thought that this could have been a much longer story with many
more nuances. Or maybe it’s just my need to read stories which feature trans
and cross dressing individuals in a positive light…
The happily ever after in this tale was kind of perfect. Not
only was the Ripper stopped, but the narrator also found himself in a moment of
happily ever after with an understanding wife. And, everyone who had been a
part of the capture of the villain was mentioned in the final words, letting
you know that they all lived long and prospered.
Title: Curiouser and Curiouser Author: Melanie Karsak Series: Steampunk Fairytales #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Fairy tales, Retellings, Steampunk Dates read: 25th – 28th July 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Clockpunk Press Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: Nonsense.
To save the Hatter, Alice must work with the one man she despises so much that she might still love him.
Alice thought she’d turned over a new leaf. No more working for Jabberwocky. No more making deals with the ruthless Queen of Hearts. No more hanging around The Mushroom with tinkers, tarts, scoundrels, and thieves in London’s criminal underbelly. But she’d been bonkers to dream.
Hatter’s reckless behavior leads Alic back to the one person she never wanted to see again, Caterpillar. Pulled into Caterpillar’s mad schemes, Alice must steal a very big diamond from a very royal lady. The heist is not problem for this Bandersnatch. But protecting her heart from the man she once loved? Impossible.
I seriously love Alice in Wonderland. Or anything that uses themes and imagery from this story. And it’s moved beyond the Lewis Carroll original to something more. As time has moved and the many, many, many retellings have weaved their way into pop culture, the story has taken on more and more of a life of its own. Which is also probably why I love it so much. Each person’s take is amazing. Each aspect of the story that is focused on… but I’ve never read a steampunk retelling of this tale. Until now. And wow.
Every single moment in this story had an allusion to Alice in Wonderland. Yet, the creation of this world in a steampunk underbelly also made it completely disjointed from the original. I loved the way that these two ideas sit against each other. Alice is full of muchness (much like the original), but she’s also older, wiser and in a much darker world. The Queen of Hearts is also far more terrifying than she is in Carroll’s version. This separation between the two realities was just fantastic and it made me sink my nose into this book and refuse to get out. A bit like falling down the rabbit hole…
One of my favourite things about this retelling is the repurposing of the names throughout. Alice becomes the Bandersnatch, her father-figure the Jabberwocky and her love interest Caterpillar. They’re such familiar names and characters, and whilst I could still recognise them in the characterisation, they added a new layer, an extra something that was previously not there. It was so cleverly and seamlessly done that it would be so easily missed if I hadn’t recently been on an Alice in Wonderlandbinge.
Although this is an amazing retelling that just completely sweeps you into a whole new world, it is also a fantastic story in and of itself. Even if you have been living under a rock and had absolutely zero exposure to Alice in Wonderland, it is still something that you’d thoroughly enjoy. Actually, this is something that is almost impossible to put down. And I really wouldn’t suggest that anyone do so. It’s amazing! I can’t wait to read the next Steampunk Fairytales.
Title: Pride Author: Ibi Zoboi Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Retellings, Young adult Dates read: 25th – 26th July 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Balzer + Bray Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: She grabs her ball from beneath the bench and starts passing it between her hands.
Zuri Benitez has pride.
Brooklyn pride, family pride, and pride in her Afro-Latino roots. But pride might not be enough to save her rapidly gentrifying neighborhood from becoming unrecognizable.
When the wealthy Darcy family moves in across the street, Zuri wants nothing to do with their two teenage sons, even as her older sister, Janae, starts to fall for the charming Ainsley. She especially can’t stand the judgmental and artogant Darius. Yet as Zuri and Darius are forced to find common ground, their initial dislike shifts into an unexpected understanding.
But with four wild sistsers pulling her in different directions, cute boy Warren vying for her attention, and college applications hovering on the horizon – Zuri fights to find her place in Bushwick’s changing landscape or lose it all.
In this timely update of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, critically acclimaed author Ibi Zoboi skillfully balances cultural identity, class, and gentrification against the heady magic of first love in her vibrant reimagining of this beloved classic.
Pride and Prejudice is one of my absolute favourite classics. It’s the classic that I go to again anda gain when I want to reread something soothing. Actually, it’s the book I probably pick up about once a year when I need my fix. So when I found out that there’s a contemporary retelling of this story which features a Dominican-Haitian girl on the cusp of adulthood, applying for colleges… well, I bought it immediately.
It was completely impossible to put this story down. Even though I knew pretty much what was going to happen, I looked forward to finding out how Zoboi was going to adjust the storyline to suit her needs. Particularly when the greater issues of race, identity and the identity of the neighbourhood are all explored alongside a well-loved classic. It meant that I was sucked in as if this was an entirely new storyline – because, for me, an Australian with very few experiences of these issues, it was an entirely new world and story that I was being whisked away to.
I was honestly
expecting a story that explored some of the issues of racism. And, although
this did in a slight way, it was more about pride in identity. Alright, Zuri’s
pride almost gets her in a lot of trouble, but there is also an intense pride
in who she is and where she comes from. Actually, this pride in identity and
awareness of her cultural history inspired a little jealousy. I’ve never really
had any awareness of my own family’s cultural history. Yet, this pride also
bought up issues of first perceptions and stereotypes. The ways in which some
people see a certain cultural way of being and decide that it is “wrong”. And
this worked in both ways – not only towards Zuri, but also in her attitudes
towards the Darcys.
This is the second book I’ve read in under a week that deals
with the very cusp of adulthood. That moment when you are just about to leave high
school and step out on your own for the first time. I loved the open ended-ness
of this. Yes, Zuri and Darius look like they’ll get a happily ever after, but they
are also only teenagers. And there is no moment of everything being set in
stone – rather it is about the hope for the future and an acceptance of each
other in a way that makes you think they might just make it when not many
others do…
Title: What I Like About Me Author: Jenna Guillaume Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary, Young adult Dates read: 22nd – 25th July 2019 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Pan Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: We couldn’t wait until we were both old enough.
HERE LIES MAISIE MARTIN, DEAD FROM EMBARRASSMENT, AGED SIXTEEN.
The last thing Maisie Martin thought she’d be doing this summer is entering a beauty pageant.
Not when she’s spent most of her life hiding her body from everyone.
Not when her dad is AWOL for Christmas and her best friend starts going out with the boy she’s always loved.
But Maisie’s got something to prove. And she’s not going to let anything or anyone – including herself – hold her back.
I got this book in a book box from YA Chronicles. I had no idea what to expect. I’d never read anything from Jenna Guillaume. And I’m only just getting into contemporary young adult stories. But I absolutely loved it! This story is a bit like the movie Dumplin’ (I haven’t read the book yet), but with a more Australian and satirical spin. Which of course is why I loved it so much…. A sassy Australian novel about coming of age and loving yourself for who you are. Or at least finding a way to like yourself…
As a child, I was lucky to be slender, I won some good
genetics. So I honestly don’t understand what it’s like to be a bigger girl.
But. I do understand what it’s like not to like my own body. Not to feel 100%
comfortable in it and not sure that I like what I see. This novel touches on
that issue beautifully. I think it’s something that every woman goes through at
some point. A desire to be more “something” something that our friends, family,
celebrities are and we’re just not. And although everyone purports self-love, it
really does start with self-care – learning to like oneself, before you decide
to love yourself.
Being a teenager is incredibly awkward. There is nothing about
it that is easy and simple. And, as an adult, I look back on some moments with
humour and a bit of wistfulness. But, as a teenager? I thought that everything embarrassing
or silly was just the end of the world. That I was always going to be an
ungainly, awkward girl-child with no sense of identity and self. Which meant
that reading this story of someone going through the exact same thing made
me laugh quite a bit. Alright, there were some moments that were way more
embarrassing than anything I’d been through, but there were others that I could
relate to FAR too well.
The only thing that I didn’t love about this book is the
fact that I read it in winter. This is a fantastic beach read, summer story. But,
I seem to have picked it up in some incredibly horrible weather. Weather that
had me curling up inside on the couch, longing for the beach and beauty that
Maisie is surrounding herself and her teenage dramas with.
Earth and Skye 