All posts by skyebjenner

Boiling Point by Alex Howard

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

Title: Boiling Point
Author: Alex Howard
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: 28th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: The air was oppressively foetid too from poor sanitation and what smelled like the effluvia of tanneries and glue factories.

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Synopsis

A man finds himself working alongside the most unpleasant of men. But it isn’t until he finds out about the conspiracy afoot that he begins to truly understand how unpleasant he truly is.

Thoughts

This retelling of the Jack the Ripper case took a more conspiracy theory ridden outlook than many others that I’ve read. It played on the idea of racism and people in power carrying these ideals. It even outlaid a future plan for the Ripper until he is stopped. A greatly different point of view in fictional retellings of the notorious butcher that I have read so far.

Normally I find conspiracies outlandish and incredibly unrealistic. This one not so much. It is actually kind of plausible and the fact that it was easily stumbled upon just made it all the more likely to understand. It made me want to read this short story again and look for small hints as to those responsible for the Jack the Ripper conspiracy.

 <- Kosher ReviewOh Have You Seen the Devil? Review ->
Image source: Amazon

How Things Disappear by Anna James

Overview

Title: How Things Disappear
Author: Anna James
In: I Am Heathcliff (Kate Mosse)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary
Dates read: 27th April 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Borough Press
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: By the time the answer was written, the rib was back, and she assumed she had been mistaken that it ever went away.

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Synopsis

When did you realise that you were slowly disappearing? When did part of you return? How do you make your heart beat in an empty chest again?

Thoughts

I’ve always believed that in almost every meaningful interaction we have with people, we give them a small part of ourselves. That, if they are able, they in turn give something back to us. But what happens when the people we surround ourselves with just take, take, take? What happens when parts of you begin to disappear as people refuse to return your gifts?

This story is incredibly disjointed, it hints at everything, but tells you nothing. And I think that this visceral reality that you just can’t quite grasp works perfectly. That maybe it’s the idea of giving and taking in turn that is really what indicates love. That maybe, just maybe, we are all slowly disappearing until we find someone to help us put ourselves back together again.

 <- Amulet and Feathers ReviewThe Wildflowers Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

Sexual Healing by Margo Maguire

Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of time travel romance book cover

Title: Sexual Healing
Author: Margo Maguire
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary romance, Time travel
Dates read: 28th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She nodded against him.

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

D499 is sent back in time to stop the potential future extinction of the human race. But when he finds the boy responsible, he isn’t quite sure what he’s supposed to do. Or how he’s supposed to feel about the alluring woman who is his mother…

Thoughts

Most of the time travel romances and books that I read tend to be about travelling back in time. Romanticising a past that we can’t truly fathom and removing aspects of history that just don’t quite fit with our ideal. This is the first of the time travel romances in which the time jump involves the future. Like a thousand years into the future.

D499 travels back to our time, kind of like in the terminator. To right a wrong and stop a young boy from changing the world. I was actually expecting him to go a little terminator on the family in his quest to save the human race. Luckily, he didn’t. And this story was a happy, easy read that left me feeling content about the potentials of the future.

It really didn’t hurt my enjoyment of this story that it dealt with the sciences. And, more particularly a woman who was attempting to get her PhD in neurobiology, a son who will follow in her footsteps and a hunk of a man who is a physicist.

 <- Stepping Back ReviewThe Wild Card Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Chamber Music of Animals by Katherine Vaz

Overview
Image result for coyote road book cover

Title: The Chamber Music of Animals
Author: Katherine Vaz
In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Medical, Music, Tricksters
Dates read: 28th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: She’d consumed nothing but coffee all day; no wonder she ached with heartburn.

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

Sophie has lost her husband, and now cancer is threatening to take away her only son. Does the power of music have the ability to battle away the awful disease?

Thoughts

I’m really glad that this story didn’t have a sad ending. I was fully expecting it to, after all, Sofia had already lost her husband, and she was incredibly close to losing her son to cancer. Although this tale is in a collection about tricksters, it doesn’t mean that you can’t have trickster tales that are sad. Rather than their usual witty, entertaining journeys.

Monkeys are often tricksters in mythology. They’re the characters which run amok through the lives of people and change the world around them. Just by creating chaos. And believe me, if you’ve ever watched a troop of monkeys, or apes, you can understand how their presence can incite change and align them with the tricksters of myth and legend. Which means that it was probably about time for a monkey to show up in The Coyote Road.

The parallel running of this story worked really nicely throughout. There are the battles which Sofia is fighting for her son. The life that her mother is trying to live with a broken leg, and an incredibly sick grandson. And finally, the music and internal war that Rangy is fighting to save a well-loved boy. Even if he has been left in the cupboard for years on end…

 <- Crow Roads ReviewUncle Bob Visits Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Spellcaster 2.0 by Jonathan Maberry

Overview
Image result for an apple for the creature book cover

Title: Spellcaster 2.0
Author: Jonathan Maberry
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: Dark fantasy, Magic, Technology
Dates read: 17th April 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Ace Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Anthem suddenly stopped biting her thumb and they both looked at the bead of blood that welled from where she’d bitten too deeply.

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Synopsis

A group of academic anthropologists are working on a database of spells to make the perfect summoning spell. But when you play with magic, things can go very awry at the drop of a hat… and they’re about to find out that you just don’t mess with magic.

Thoughts

I understand the pressure and stress of trying to get a ridiculously ambitious project done in a much shorter amount of time than desirable. After all, like the characters in this short story, I too am a PhD student. The fact that this tale of the pressures of being a postgrad student intertwines with murder, mayhem and magic just made me connect all the quicker with the characters and the storyline.

One of the questions I often asked myself when doing my anthropology degree (especially in my honours year) was what right do we have to stick our noses into other peoples’ cultures? Maberry highlights this beautifully with the use of technology and people’s beliefs in the mythos. By taking something that is often a vibrant part of people’s cultures (the summoning of other beings, or demons) and making it so clinical with the use of computers, the way in which we approach things that appear antiquated is really bought into light. We might not have much of a right to stick our noses into other people’s religions, but we definitely shouldn’t be treated it with such nonchalant disregard. Or at least, that’s the way this story takes such an issue…

 <- Playing Possum ReviewAcademy Field Trip Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Love Bites by Angie Fox

Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of vampire romance 2 book cover

Title: Love Bites
Author: Angie Fox
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 27th April 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Would you like to tell me what’s going on here?

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

Kat is just looking for a new adventure after she finally escapes from a loveless marriage. But a trap has been set for her, one that she’s not entirely sure she wants to escape from.

Thoughts

I don’t like reality tv shows. They’re contrived, annoying and highlight all of the worst aspects of humanity. Yet, I always seem to enjoy stories that take a paranormal spin on such things. A little like this. Alright, the majority of the story isn’t even a tv show, it’s about another matter entirely, but still… I loved the beginning.

The movement in this story from something incredibly modern (a TV dating show) to a more archaic outlook (marrying off the princess to whoever gave the most benefit) was kind of fun. It married two worlds together in a way that I really wasn’t expecting from the outset. I always enjoy a good joining of genres and this kind of worked in my favour. From a modern vampire, just out looking for some fun, to a princess who is forced into loveless marriage after loveless marriage, Kat manages to encompass a number of tropes all in the one short story.

 <- Blood Feud ReviewFlotsam Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

I Am Heathcliff curated by Kate Mosse

Overview

Title: I Am Heathcliff
Author: Kate Mosse, Louise Doughty, Grace McCleen, Nikesh Shukla, Erin Kelly, Joanna Cannon, Laurie Penny, Lisa McInerney, Juno Dawson, Hanan al-Shaykh, Alison Case, Louisa Young, Leila Aboulela, Anna James, Dorothy Koomson, Michael Stewart & Sophie Hannah
In: I Am Heathcliff (Kate Mosse)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
Bookshelves: Contemporary, Short story collections, Twisted romance
Dates read: 18th February – 16th May 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Borough Press
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: Any sound Ellis made was nurtured, grown somehow by the floorboards and the leaded-glass windows, until even the sound of her own breathing seemed to be carried away down the landing, and passed around from room to room.

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

16 modern fiction superstars shine a startling light on the romance and pain of the infamous literary pair Heathcliff and Cathy.
Short stories to stir the heart and awaken vital conversation about love.

Sixteen stories inspired by Wuthering Heights.

In Terminus a young woman hides in an empty Brighton hotel; in Thicker Than Blood a man sits in a hot tub stalking his newly-married love on social media; and in A Bird Half-Eaten an amateur boxer prepares for a match.

A woman recalls the Heathcliffs I Have Known and the physical danger she has borne at their hands; in Anima a child and a fox are unified in one startling moment of violence; and in One Letter Different two teenagers walk the moors and face up to their respective buried secrets.

Curated by Kate Mosse and commissioned for Emily Brontë’s bicentenary year in 2018, these fresh, modern stories pulse with the raw beauty and pain of love and are as timely as they are illuminating.

Thoughts

I did enjoy this collection, but not as much as I had hoped. Probably because I bought this before reading Wuthering Heights. Which I then hated. So although this collection went a long way towards helping me to understand just why people love the classic so much. I still didn’t really love the obsessive, twisted romance that really features throughout all of these. The darkness that is completely overwhelming and more than a little difficult to understand.

Taking an incredibly rich classic, one that has stood the tests of time and creating different storylines and modern perspectives on it is an impressive feat. Collecting all of these stories together in one great collection was thoroughly enjoyable. It definitely gave me a whole new perspective on the classic. And made me want to give it a go for a second time… maybe in a year or two when I’m a little more mellow, and less likely to hate on Heathcliff and Cathy so passionately…

 <- Only Joseph ReviewTerminus Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

Personal Challenge / Reading Lists

Duration: 1st June – 30th June 2019
Number of books: 5
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

1. You can name the folder whatever you want–and you can arrange it in any way that works for you.
– Read a book that has a proper name in the title (person or place) – or – a book with an author/character that has the same name as you.The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper by Maxim Jakubowski & Nathan Braund

2. You may want to keep a list to show progress you’re making on ongoing challenges. 
– Read a book that is the FIRST book to begin a new challenge – or – a book that is the LAST book that will complete another challenge (not this one!). Tell us the challenge, doesn’t have to be in CCC. – Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (The Moon)

3. Some people save links to their challenges in order to find them easily for posting.
– Read a book with the letters L-I-N-K in the title (not necessarily in that order) – or – a book whose title starts with a letter in LINK (disregard A, An, The). – Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown

4. This folder can be used to keep track of your TBR list and/or books you’ve scheduled to read for upcoming challenges.
– Read a book by an author with the letters T, B, AND R in their name – or – a book that you added to your TBR the first year you joined Goodreads (tell us the year).

5. Please keep in mind that this is not a private group. Anyone can access your personal challenge folder.
– Read a book that you’ve shared (recommended) to someone – or – a book that someone has recommended to you (tell us who).In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall

Cosplay Cuties – June 2019

Duration: 1st June – 30th June 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.

description

June 
1. Read a book released during the summer of any year. – Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown (July 2001)
2. Read a book with a flower on the cover.
3. Read a book that is a bit creepy. – The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper by Maxim Jakubowski & Nathan Braund
4. Read a book tagged ‘paranormal’. – Blood Crime by Kim Harrison & Gemma Magno
5. Read a novella or short story. – Novellas & Stories by Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane & Jessica Sims
6. Read a book over 200 pages long. – Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (pp. 296)

The Moon

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

All information was gathered from https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/ea…

Ever wonder about where the astronauts actually went almost 50 years ago? 

1. Earth’s only natural satellite is simply called “the Moon” because we didn’t know other moons even existed until Galileo Galilei discovered four moons orbiting Jupiter in 1610. The Moon is the brightest and largest feature in the night sky. Venus is second. 
🔭 Read a book with the word MOON in the title (plural or compound word OK, no other variations) – or – a book with a MAIN character who is a scientist (bonus if it’s an astronomer!) (tell us who) – or – a book #1 or #2 in a series (tell us the series)

2. The Moon helps make the Earth a more livable planet by moderating its wobble on its axis and leading to a relatively stable climate. It also causes tides. The Moon was likely formed after a Mars-sized body collided with Earth.
🌙 Read a book with a word containing the letter “X” in the title – or – a book in which a collision of some sort occurs – or – a book that shows an ocean or ocean beach scene on the cover, preferably with waves (show us the cover).Percy Jackson & the Titan’s Curse: The Graphic Novel by Rick Riordan & Robert Venditti

3. This is, so far, the only place beyond Earth where humans have set foot. Astronauts planted six American flags on the moon, but that doesn’t mean the United States owns it. An international law written in 1967 prevents any single nation from owning planets, stars or any other natural objects in space.
 Read a book where a MAIN character owns property/real estate – or – a book with an American flag on the cover (show us the cover) – or – a book in which a character takes a long trip (briefly tell us the circumstances).Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington (Molly and her sisters travel along the Rabbit-Proof Fence)

4. Humans didn’t see the Moon’s far side until a spacecraft finally got there in 1959. The moon rotates once on its axis in about the same time it orbits Earth, so the same side faces us at all times. Regions of the moon’s poles are extremely cold: about -457.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-272 degrees Celsius). Some parts never get sunlight, and these shadowed sections show signs of ice.
🌑 Read a book with at least two of these numbers–2, 4, 5, 6, 7–in the total number of pages (tell us how many pages) – or – a book set in a normally cold climate (tell us where) – or – a book showing ice on the cover (show us the cover)..Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (pp. 296)

5. Once a year the full moon appears 14% larger than usual. This happens when the moon’s egg-shaped (elliptical) orbit reaches the closest point to Earth (perigee). A full moon at perigee is called a “Super Moon.” 
🌕 Read a book showing a FULL moon on the cover (show us the cover) – or – a book whose author’s first AND last initials can be found in PERIGEE – or – a book that you considered super (rated 5 stars).In the Shadow of Man by Jane Goodall

6. Some observers of the Moon see the shape of a person’s face among the visible craters, so stories refer to a mysterious “man in the moon.” Others believe it’s made of cheese because of the cheesy-looking appearance of its surface. 
🌝 Read a book written by a man – or – a book with double EE’s somewhere in the title or author’s name – or – a book in which someone believed something that wasn’t true (briefly tell us the circumstances but use a spoiler tag if appropriate)

7. Jules Verne’s 1865 novel From the Earth to the Moon is often credited with inspiring real-life rocket pioneers. While the novel is science fiction, Verne included a few interesting and accurate predictions. The moon made its film debut in a 1902 black and white silent French film called Le Voyage Dans la Lune (a trip to the moon). And a year before astronauts walked on the moon, 2001: A Space Odyssey told the story of astronauts on an outpost on the moon. Decades later, it is still widely regarded as the best science fiction movie ever made.
🌜Read a book marked SCIENCE FICTION on the main genre page – or – a book translated from another language – or – a book originally published in 2001.Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown