All posts by skyebjenner

Conjuring Max by Carolyn Crane

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for novellas and stories meljean brook book cover

Title: Conjuring Max
Author: Carolyn Crane
Series: Code of Shadows #0.5
In: Novellas and Stories (Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane & Jessica Sims)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Technology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 9th – 10th June 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: “It’s okay, Veronica -“

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Synopsis

The witches of the world ridiculed nerdy Veronica for trying to use newfangled computers to enhance old world spellcasting. Well, it’s 1984 now, and she’s perfected her spellcasting computer program. Hey, who needs friends when you can conjure virtually anything… or anybody? So when Veronica makes powerful new enemies, she conjures Max, a pitbull of a cop, to deal with the pesky hitmen who keep coming around. But tough-guy Max is in no mood to play lapdog to a gorgeous witch.

Thoughts

I really liked the technopagan spin to this storyline. Over the years I’ve read a lot of spins on witchwork and magic. But surprisingly none that use computers as the linchpin of the magic. Especially not coding which can bring the dead back to life…and I ate it all up. Which means that I have to exercise self-control (yet again) to not buy the following novels.

Veronica is a nerdy, pushy, secluded woman. She’s also a geek. Which of course meant that I immediately loved her. Although I did find some of her onion-like, tough layers a little tedious. After all, love is something that I believe in full heartedly, and she took a fair amount of time to actually succumb to the passion that was so obviously there. It’s a trope that I always find kind of frustrating when I’m reading a romance – the inability to see what is so obviously there! Although, I suppose it is also the reason that I like to keep reading these stories, even when I can roughly guess at the ending.

The romantic suspense throughout this novella might be fun, but what I kind of loved most was the creation of the dragon-dog that ate the enemies and decided to hang around. It kind of made me think of my adorable, kind of useless dog. Alright, he might not be a dragon-dog who is going to eat my enemies. But the companionship and loyalty that he shows throughout made me smile. And think of a happily-ever-after couple riding off into the sunset with their weirdly unique pet.

 <- Speed Mating ReviewWrecked Review ->
Image source: Fantastic Fiction

Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells by Delia Sherman

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

Title: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells
Author: Delia Sherman
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) & The Mammoth Book of Gaslit Romance (Ekatrina Sedia)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Fantasy, Gaslamp, Magic
Dates read: 9th June 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Surely a mother’s duty is to comfort and protect her child, not stand by while a monster savages her.

Synopsis

She’s locked up in the dusty old archives trying to decipher the spells of a long-lost queen. But, when she finds out the secret behind the words, she’ll have to decide what to do with her knowledge.

Thoughts

As an introduction to Gaslamp fantasy, this was kind of fantastic. And the fact that it was a short story written by an author that I’ve already kind of fallen for… well, that was sort of perfect. After all, this story mixes magic, sexism and a healthy dose of pride and power. Actually, the voice which told the story was one that I immediately connected with and didn’t ever want to leave.

Queen Victoria is a fairly pinnacle character of Victorian tropes – as soon as I saw the title of the book and the story, I started to think about the time and reality in which this story was placed. But, reading a diary from a young girl who supposedly ended up marrying for love and who faced some very difficult hurdles to her crown. All before she fully grew into her own powers and strength, was a great adventure. It was a great theme and person to hang a story on.

One of the things that I struggle with in academia is the idea that one person’s opinions can seriously screw up your future (I’m very lucky with my academic supervisors). And that, in science and discovery, there are some things that might be a little too intense and dangerous to share. Again, not something that I actually tend to have to deal with, but it’s still a cloud that hovers over my thoughts. Sherman deals with these issues perfectly in a way that makes you really want to help the protagonist, and hope for the happy ending that is hinted in the final passages.

<- Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells CollectionThe Fairy Enterprise ->

Image source: Amazon

Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for legally blonde book cover

Title: Legally Blonde
Author: Amanda Brown
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Chic lit, Contemporary
Dates read: 7th – 8th June 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Sphere
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: Why might we not want a trial… uh, to start up that soon?

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Synopsis

This blonde is anything but dumb…

Elle Woods, University of Southern California socio-political jewellery design major, is blonde, spoiled and desperately in love with Warner Huntingdon III. But when Warner announces he’s dumping her to go off to Stanford, Elle decides that a little thing like law school won’t come between them. Anything Warner can do, she can do better.

Elle’s Stanford misadventures begin badly, and it seems the one place blondes definitely don’t have more fun is law school. But then Elle’s asked to defend one-time fitness queen Brooke Vandermark on a murder charge. Seizing the opportunity to prove her worth to Warner and her fellow classmates, she vindicates all who are blonde at heart with a tip any Cosmo girl should know.

Legally Blonde was made into the hugely successful 2001 film starring Reese Witherspoon.

Thoughts

I only recently found out that this was a book. And man am I glad that I picked it up. Like the movie, the book is a fun, easy read. Very cutesy and, in many ways, completely unrelatable (I’m not exactly a “Legally Blonde” kind of girl). But it was fun. And easy. And I read it over the course of less than 24 hours. Like I said, it was just so damn cute and easy.

This is one of the few cases were I actually liked the movie a bit more than the book. Reese Witherspoon just does such a phenomenal job of bringing Elle Woods to life. And she’s impossible not to love. The Elle Woods who comes to life on the pages is completely lovable too. But she’s not quite as adorable, and a lot more superficial. Kind of annoyingly so at times. But her optimism and naivety kind of makes up for the stereotypical blonde image…

One of the biggest differences between the book and the film is that many of the characters have different names. Their personalities are also a little more two dimensional, but still relatable. But the law lessons are more intense. You can tell that Amanda Brown actually went to law school. Studied the monotony that is apparent on the page. And she obviously also enjoyed some parts of the law, since these are the bits that are much better explained. In some parts I actually wanted to go to law school myself! But only in some… I like my degree.

Legally Blonde is one of those books that I’ll pick up again and again. It’s the perfect balance of a good storyline, fun characters and accessible language that makes the words just fly by. And, since I’ve seen the movie so, so, so many times, I know what’s going to happen. So it’s perfect for those reading slumps or times of intense pressure where you just can’t quite seem to concentrate fully…

 <- Family Trust ReviewSchool of Fortune Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Titan’s Curse – the Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan & Robert Venditti

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the titan's curse graphic novel book cover

Title: Percy Jackson and the Titan’s Curse – the Graphic Novel
Author: Rick Riordan & Robert Venditti
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians – the Graphic Novels #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Graphic novels, Greek mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 27th May – 6th June 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Graphic novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: Bianca is gone.

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Synopsis

IT’S NOT EVERY DAY YOU FIND YOURSELF IN COMBAT WITH A HALF-LION, HALF-HUMAN.

But when you’re the son of a Greek god, it happens. And now my friend Annabeth is missing, a goddess is in chains and only five half-blood heroes can join the quest to defeat the doomsday monster.

Oh and guess what. The Oracle has predicted that not all of us will survive…

Thoughts

I felt like there was a little more information left out of this graphic novel adaptation than past ones. Although, since this is the book that really starts to set up the final battle, that really wasn’t very surprising. And, the parts that they left out and glossed over really didn’t affect the way in which the storyline actually moved forwards. Which, all in all, didn’t leave me feeling too disappointed.

Like the first two graphic novel adaptations, the drawings in this were exquisite. They showed almost exactly what I had picture in my mind’s eye. It really wasn’t hard to be swept away in the story all over again.

Although I have read the novel, I love the fact that there was a big enough gap between my readings that it almost felt like I was reading the story all over again. My only real disappointment was that it was over so quickly…

 <- The Sea of Monsters – the Graphic Novel ReviewThe Battle of the Labyrinth – the Graphic Novel Review ->
Image source: Amazon

In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for in the shadow of man book cover

Title: In the Shadow of Man
Author: Jane Goodall
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Conservation, Non-fiction
Dates read: 13th May – 6th June 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Mariner
Year: 1971
5th sentence, 74th page: Christmas that year at the Gombe Stream was a day to remember.

Synopsis

World-renowned primatologist, conservationist, and humanitarian Dr. Jane Goodall’s account of her life among the wild chimpanzees of Gombe is one of the most enthralling stories of animal behavior ever written. Her adventure began when the famous anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey suggested that a long-term study of chimpanzees in the wild might shed light on the behavior of our closest living relatives in the animal kingdom. Accompanied by only her mother and her African assistants, she set up camp in teh remote Gombe Stream Chimpanzee Reserve in Tanzania.

For months the project seemed hopeless; out in the forest from dawn until dark, she had but fleeting glimpses of frightened animals. But gradually she won their trust and was able to record previously unknown behavior, such as the use – and even the amking – of tools, until then believed to be a skill exclusive to humans. As she came to know the chimps as individuals, she began to understand their complicated social hierarchy and observed many extraordinary behaviors, forever changing our understanding of the profound connection between humans and chimpanzees.

Thoughts

I’ve always wanted to read a book by Jane Goodall but I just never seem to quite get around to it…. until now. And now I’m mostly just annoyed that it took me this long and I have to wait until next pay day to buy any of her other books. Not only was it impossible not to fall in love with Flo and Fifi and all of the other characters in Jane’s chimpanzee family, but it was so inspiring. Conservation studies and the sciences may have changed a lot since the founding of Gombe Research Station, but our passions and slightly unorthodox approaches to what fascinates us kind of remain the same… it gives you hope.

One of my favourite aspects to this novel is that each chapter deals with a different aspect of chimp (and human) behaviour and interaction. In each mini story, a span of years of observations is covered. It ties everything in beautifully so that you can really gain an insight and understanding into this unique group of animals and individuals. That is of course, aside from the first few chapters which provide a storyline for the start of Jane’s career and how she found herself in such an amazing opportunity.

Normally I like to read biographies and non-fiction books before bed. They’re an easy read that is interesting, but also simple to put down. Not so much with this book. There was something about the extra relatability of chimpanzees and Jane’s journey with them that made it stupidly difficult to put this novel down. Like ridiculously difficult… I stayed up WAY too late reading this. And had quite a few sleepless nights… but it was totally worth it!

 <- Hope for Animals and Their WorldJames and Other Apes ->

Image source: Jane Goodall’s Good For All News

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for twenty thousand leagues under the sea word cloud classic book cover

Title: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Author: Jules Verne
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Oceans, Science fiction
Dates read: 31st May – 3rd June 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1870
5th sentence, 74th page: I was in ecstasies with the vivacity of their movements and the beauty of their forms.

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Synopsis

French naturalist Dr. Aronnax embarks on an expedition to hunt down a sea monster, only to discover instead the Nautilus, a remarkable submarine built by the enigmatic Captain Nemo. Together Nemo and Aronnax explore the underwater marvels, undergo a transcendent experience amongst the ruins of Atlantis, and plant a black flag at the South Pole. But Nemo’s mission is one of revenge-and his methods coldly efficient.

Thoughts

This is one of those stories that you can read again and again and find something new and fun each and ever time. This first read I mostly just got an overall impression of amazing writing, in depth characterisation and vivid settings. Ones that I just couldn’t get out of my mind’s eye even after I turned the final page of the book.

There are some classics that are tedious in the extreme. Don’t get me wrong, you can understand why they’re a classic. But, they’re just long-winded and difficult to read. Verne still has a convoluted and beautiful way with words, but there is something so much more accessible about the way he uses them and twists the world around him. Something about the journey that you are swept away on that makes it really hard to look away. And, even though I absolutely know that I didn’t pick up on every small detail of the storyline, I still loved every moment. Every beautiful, meandering stop along the adventure.

One of the aspects of this writing that I loved the most was the fact that each chapter was its own adventure. There was a strong connection with what happened in the preceding section, but it functioned incredibly well by itself as well. It meant that although I found the novel hard to put down because of the amazingly talented writing, there were also pauses in which it felt feasible and logical to put aside to act like a real adult…

<- The Adventures of Huckleberry FinnThe Age of Innocence ->

Image source: Amazon

Callie Meet Happy by Amber Benson

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: Callie Meet Happy
Author: Amber Benson
Series: Calliope Reaper-Jones #3.5
In: An Apple for the Creature (Charlaine Harris & Toni L. P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Grim reapers, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 3rd June 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Not gonna happen,” Callie said, holding her ground in a pair of dirty Jimmy Choos.

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Synopsis

Callie is in a class learning how to create wormholes. But a crabby teacher and judgemental peers seem to keep getting in her way… until she figures out how to go to a Happy place.

Thoughts

This was an easy and enjoyable short story. The teacher kind of reminded me of Umbridge (Harry Potter for those of you who aren’t quite educated on her evilness). This teacher was judgemental, power hungry and kind of a pain. Something that we’ve all had experience with at some point in our lives. And the judging looks from her peers… well, that was a little bit too familiar. Which, in all lead to a completely relatable, and kind of funny storyline that I was sad to see end.

Stories which feature grim reapers and death are something that always fascinates me. Especially when there is a nice dose of black humour interwoven throughout. A level of sass from a female (pretty much any female) which makes such a serious topic (death) so much less… well, serious. Actually, in the case of Callie’s internal monologue, it just made this entire adventure quite funny. And very, very cute.

Many of the fantasy stories that I’ve read with a parallel world or time portals of any kind tend to be insanely complex. Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy them. But I tend to find it quite hard to grasp certain aspects of the storyline and then I have to go back and read certain sections again and again until I have a firmer grasp on what is happening. This tale was nothing like that. There is travel to a parallel world, but the storyline and lead character doesn’t get caught up in all of the minutiae detail.

 <- Low School ReviewIphigenia in Aulis Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Speed Mating by Jessica Sims

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for novellas and stories meljean brook book cover

Title: Speed Mating
Author: Jessica Sims
Series: Midnight Liasons #2.3
In: Novellas and Stories (Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane & Jessica Sims)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters
Dates read: 1st June 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: “Or horrified,” Estrella said quietly, sipping her own iced coffee.

Synopsis

Estrella may be going into heat, but she’s determined to remain in control. Just because she’s ovulating doesn’t mean she has to settle for just any man (or his beast). Her sexy alpha’s determined to find her a tiger to take care of her heat and father her child… but no one seems to look quite as good as the man in charge. Will giving in to her need for her alpha ruin her tenuous relationship with her clan or be a match made in heaven?

Thoughts

I was a bit thrown by the first novella I’ve read in this series. But, after reading Speed Mating, I’ve decided that this is going to be a fun, sexual and slightly cute series to sink my teeth into. Actually, it was kind of funny in moments. Especially through the use of a speed dating event in which it is so obvious who the main couple is going to be. But a little fun in the construction of their relationship.

I haven’t read a shapeshifter romance for a little while. I just seem to have moved onto other stories and tropes. But, reading this story about dating services and wanting children, and a liger shapeshifter (which is an awesome first for me) made me itch to pick up one of the many shapeshifter paranormal romances on my shelves… there is just something so much more animalistic and intriguing about these stories. Something more primal than many other romances. Which you kind of need every now and again.

The smut level of this story was quite intense, but not overdone like in Vixen. For me, it was just the right level of happy, fun smutty storyline to get my pulse racing. But not enough that I would feel completely uncomfortable reading this in public.

 <- Out with a FangSingle Wolf Female ->

Image source: Fantastic Fiction

The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper by Maxim Jakubowski & Nathan Braund

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

Title: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper
Author: Maxim Jakubowski & Nathan Braund
Series: Mammoth Books
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, History, Non-fiction
Dates read: 13th March – 1st June 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 1999
5th sentence, 74th page: It may be, as is generally assumed, that Louis Diemschutz, returning home, interrupted the murderer and prevented him from performing his usual mutilations.

Synopsis

Jack the Ripper – all the evidence, all the key theories, fully updated with the newest ideas

The crime world’s most enduring mystery, the identity of Jack the Ripper, has plagued professional historians, criminologists, writers and amateur enthusiasts for over a hundred years. Chief suspects include Montague John Druitt,Walter Sickert, Aaron Kosminski, Michael Ostrog, William Henry Bury, Dr Tumblety and James Maybrick.

This newly updated volume offers the fullest ever overview of the Whitechapel Murders case. It collects not just the key factual evidence but also 17 different arguments as to the identity of the Ripper, including the more recent theories from Patricia Cornwell and others. Contributions from the world’s leading Ripperologists include William Beadle, Martin Fido, Shirley Harrison, James Tully and Colin Wilson.

The essays are supported by a detailed chronology, extensive bibliography and filmography.

Thoughts

I’ve been hearing about Jack the Ripper for as long as I can remember. I always knew that there were many different theories surrounding who, what, why… but nothing is truly known. So, I thought it might be about time to read a little more about this infamous serial killer. Especially since I have a few books based around him and I really wasn’t quite adding up the hints and information that was found in some of the short stories I’ve been reading.

I love the way that this book is broken up. To start with it outlines the very basics of the known facts of the case. The five known, canonical victims. It tells us the very basics and all those little clues which have lead to theory upon theory being built up. Then, it takes you in for a deeper look at each of the five victims. Showing testimonies, court statements and aspects of the coroners report to give you even more facts. I ended up taking quite a long time to read the first part of this book, just because the sheer number of facts and figures was a little overwhelming. But in the best sense possible, considering that this is a non-fiction book…

Finally, the different popular theories are highlighted in small chapters by “Ripperologists”. They take the facts that you’ve spent an age reading and present them to you in a whole new light. Which made things kind of difficult for me…since every single version sounded plausible. This is another one of those books that I will pick up again and again, learning something new and different each time. Being fascinated and drawn in over and over.

<- By the Light of My HeartThe Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories ->

Image source: Amazon

Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for dragon bones patricia briggs book cover

Title: Dragon Bones
Author: Patricia Briggs
Series: Hurog Duology #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Magic, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 22nd – 30th May 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ace Fantasy
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: “War?” I asked, trying to sound eager, the way an idiot who was good at fighting would say it.

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Synopsis

Playing the fool

Most everyone thinks Ward of Hurog is a simple-minded fool – and that’s just fine by him. But few people know that his foolishness is (very convincingly) feigned. And it’s all that’s save him from death at the hands of his abusive father, who’s always seen Ward as a bitter rival for power. 88 When his father dies, Ward becomes the new lord of Hurog… until a nobleman declares that he is too dim-witted to rule. Ward knows he cannot play the fool any longer. To regain his kingdom, he must prove himself worthy – and quickly.

Riding into a war that’s heating up on the border, Ward is sure he’s on the fast track to glory. But soon his mission takes a deadly serious turn, for he has seen a pile of magical dragon bones hidden deep beneath Hurog Keep. The bones can be dangerous in the wrong hands, and Ward is certain his enemies will stop at nothing to possess them…

Thoughts

I read this book for the first time a very long time ago. Or at least, long enough that I couldn’t really remember anything that happened in the story. Beyond the fact that Ward had to pretend to be stupid to survive, and he couldn’t remember how to act as someone who was… less dumb. But the story is soooooo much more than that. And I honestly can’t believe that it’s taken me so long to get this off my shelves again. It’s just beautiful. And fun. And an incredibly enjoyable read.

Although there are hints of a love interest in a part of the story, there isn’t any overt romance. Rather, this story is about finding one’s own identity and strength. And also reconnecting with long alienated family members. It’s a really sweet, if not slightly violent storyline that deals with abuse and a longing to belong. A need to feel like you fit into your own skin. And figuring out just how to do that. All things that I’m sure almost everyone can relate to in one way or another.

Now that I’ve reread Dragon Bones I just can’t wait to sink my literary teeth into Dragon Blood. Again, I can’t quite remember what happens in it. But the entire tale is one that I know I’ve enjoyed in the past and look forward to enjoying again in the future. Dragon Bones is everything I enjoyed in a good fantasy story as a child. It features a misfit that is completely misunderstood by everyone, his family included. There are dragons. And swords. And lots of fighting and bloodshed. But, as an adult, I also appreciate the difficulties of having abusive parents, and the scars that that can impart. The constant fear that Ward is like his sire and this horror at what he has had to overcome. I didn’t really appreciate that, even in my early twenties when I first read this a few years ago. Now, the whole storyline not only was incredibly enjoyable. But also shook me to the core and helped me to commit wholeheartedly to Ward’s cause.

<- More Patricia Briggs reviewsDragon Blood Review ->
Image source: Amazon