All posts by skyebjenner

At Last by Jacquie D’Alessandro

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

Title: At Last
Author: Jacquie D’Alessandro
In: The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Sophia Mallory.

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Synopsis

Sophia thought that her dalliance in the Scottish highlands was nothing but an amazing, and unforgettable fling. Until Ian, her secret lover decides to come hunting for her…

Thoughts

This was so incredibly sweet a story. Not only is it a nice historical romance set in England in the 1820’s, it also features a man who will do anything for his woman. And a woman who, though she loves dearly, will do anything to protect her son. The amount of passion and love in just a few short pages was just darling, and the fact that it was set against a romanticised English backdrop somehow just made it all the more fluid and beautiful.

Ian and Sophia work really nicely in this storyline. I love that there is a strong woman, and the man doesn’t try to control her, doesn’t try to stop her from being herself and doesn’t try to prevent her from being who and what she is. I also loved that the very thing that Sophia is trying to protect her son from is what ensures their happily ever after… at last.

 <- Curse Me Wicked ReviewMagick in the Mist Review ->
Image source: Hachette Australia

Thesis Planning

Blog, ,

This morning I’m trying my best to plan out the next 12 month’s of my thesis. At this point I should have a rough idea of its shape. And I kind of do… but it’s all in my head.

So now I have a giant piece of paper laid out in front of me. And a thousand brightly coloured textas to scribble my brain thoughts everywhere.

Maybe now I’ll stop feeling so confused and lost with what to do next…

The New Forty by Rebecca Bradley

Book Review, ,
Overview
Evolve

Title: The New Forty
Author: Rebecca Bradley
In: Evolve (Nancy Kilpatrick)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Vampires
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: I never properly saw his face.

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

Vampires in the media are always beautiful, glorious and oozing sexual appeal. But what about those who are just that little bit older? Maybe they’ve become the “new forty”.

Thoughts

I’ve always been frustrated by the term “new _____” like thirty is the new twenty and such. It just seems so silly and frivolous, and this short story kind of highlighted that for me. It made fun of the phrase, made fun of vampires, and made fun of our obsession with media.

I’ve had very mixed feelings about vampire stories since Twilight became such a hit. On one hand, I can understand the fascination, and there are some amazing series based around it. On the other hand, I really don’t understand what is romantic about a set of creatures that hunt and kill humans to survive – if they weren’t vampires, they’d be serial killers. This confusion and frustration about modern perceptions of the myth comes through while the main character is watching Opera (another thing I really don’t understand).

This is such a nice, easy, fun and amusing story that takes the vampire genre and makes fun of it. all while still falling within the genre it is mocking itself.

 <- Resonance ReviewRed Blues Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for word cloud classics jungle book book cover

Title: The Jungle Book
Author: Rudyard Kipling
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Fantasy
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1894
5th sentence, 74th page: What’s that?” said Sea Vitch, and he struck the next walrus a blow with his tusks and waked him up, and the next struck the next, and so on till they were all awake and staring in every direction but the right one.

Synopsis

Penned by English Nobel laureate Rudyard Kipling in 1894, The Jungle Book is a collection of allegorical stories that take place in the Indian jungle. The most famous stories of The Jungle Book are those featuring a young boy named Mowgli who was raised by wolves, is friends with a panther, and was educated by the animals of the jungle. Also popular in this collection is “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi,” about a mongoose who protects his human family against cobras. This edition also features tales from Kipling’s Just So Stories. These origin fables answer many questions about why things are the way they are, and readers will delight in tales like “How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin,” “The Beginning of the Armadillos,” and “How the First Letter Was Written.” A treasure trove of children’s literature, The Jungle Book and Other Stories from the Word Cloud Classics series is a chic and affordable addition to any library.

Thoughts

I had no idea what to expect from The Jungle Book. I’d honestly only ever watched the Disney movie and hadn’t read any blurbs attached to Kipling’s writing. It was just one of my many impulsive moments where I picked up the book, ready to read it and unsure of what to expect. Which was nice, because I also didn’t have any huge expectations placed upon the words. My main expectation was just that it would be about Mowgli, which was wrong.

I did wonder how an entire book about a man cub would turn out, and I’m actually really glad that this wasn’t the case in any way, shape or form. I loved that there were only about half a dozen short stories (or chapters) devoted to Mowgli, and the rest were a series of stories and poems based all across the Indian countryside. It made me feel like I was transported to a different place and a different time. Learning about how things were in a fantastical land that is part fact, and part fiction.

This is definitely going to be one of those classics that I’ll pick up again and again and again, and I’ll probably find something new and interesting to say about it each time. A new story or meaning that I wasn’t able to pick up on before.

<- The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Other StoriesThe Phantom of the Opera ->

Image source: Amazon

Wizard’s Apprentice by Delia Sherman

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for troll's-eye view book cover

Title: Wizard’s Apprentice
Author: Delia Sherman
In: Troll’s-Eye View (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fairy tales, Villains, Wizards
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Firebird Fantasy
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: And leave your boots by the door.

Synopsis

The evil wizard in the bookshop is about to take on a new apprentice, but their relationship is not all as it seems.

Thoughts

This short story made me smile. It’s a great start to a collection of villain-based rewritings of fairy tales. For starters, the evil wizard that is a pretty common standpoint of many fairy tales and modern retellings is not at all what you would expect. The apprentice (who I thought was going to be eaten or turned into a toad) is from the background that I was anticipating, but the actual apprentice himself wasn’t even remotely who I thought he would be.

This is the second short story that I have read by Delia Sherman, and something about her writing manages to infuse a subtle, cheeky sense of humour into her tale telling. Wizard’s Apprentice is a little less subtle than the other stories I’ve read by her, but it still has that great twisting joy that I’m beginning to associate with her name. It’s especially joyful and obvious at the conclusion of the short stories, there is a fun and entertaining twist that leaves a happy little smile lingering across my lips.

<- Troll’s-Eye ViewAn Unwelcome Guest ->

Image source: Amazon

Shifter by Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for shifter angela knight book cover

Title: Shifter
Author: Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra
In: Shifter (Angela Knight, Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day & Virginia Kantra)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Short story collections
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: She brushed back the dark bangs that grew over her forehead and tried to restrain the nervous jitter playing patty-cake in her stomach.

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

In this seductive anthology, four masters of paranormal romance explore the boundaries of erotic shape-shfiting fantasy – and shatter them.

Something happens when the beast within is teased and tempted. Something dangerous. Something inescapable. Somethin so irresistible no woman would want to run from it.

Whether transforming beneath a cool blue moon, prowling the night streets with feline grace and bloodred talons, or panting with pleasure, the shifters come alive to fulfill your wildest fantasies…

Thoughts

I didn’t really realise how much I’m obsessed with paranormal romance and shapeshifters… until I read this collection. And loved every single story, and now have a one-track obsession with each of the three series and four authors. Which is a monetary issues, because I don’t really want to be buying all of these series… and new authors… but I kind of have…

I love that the paranormal romance stories throughout this anthology run the gamut of sexual intensity. From sweet and gentle courtship to rough and tumble lust, these four stories highlight romance and passion in a way that made me miss my other half (he was away while I was reading most of this).

Although the majority of these tales featured a feline shapeshifter (I don’t know why, but these are so incredibly enthralling), there were others throughout. The different forms, moods and temperaments of a similar theme worked well against the often lustful romance, and now I have to be patient in waiting for the next book sin all of these series to arrive on my doorstep…

 <- Sea Crossing ReviewMad Dog Love Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Where Angels Fear to Tread by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Blood Lite

Title: Where Angels Fear to Tread
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Series: Hellchaser #1
In: Blood Lite (Kevin J. Anderson)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Horror
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Edge
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: You didn’t hear that?

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

Zeke wants something more in life, but what he’s about to get might be a bit more than he bargained for…

Thoughts

It took me a little while to really get into the swing of this story, but once I did… oooh, I can see the potential for the rest of the series. There is such thing as getting more than you bargained for, and Zeke certainly got that when his life changed forever and finally gained meaning.

This short story had the typical, kind of required, mysterious great relative (in this case the uncle) bequeathing all of his belongings to someone missing their purpose in life. It had the eccentric estate left behind, and the sudden urging to follow a life’s path that was previously unexpected. All that is kind of expected and typical (a lot of stories I’ve read have followed this line of legacy giving, it’s a classic for a reason…). But that’s where it stops. After having his new legacy forced upon him, Zeke suddenly finds himself with no income, a shortened life span, and just generally a gift that he really really didn’t want…

 <- PR Problems ReviewA Very Special Girl Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Magical Christmas Cat by Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for the magical christmas cat book cover

Title: The Magical Christmas Cat
Author: Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones
In: The Magical Christmas Cat (Lora Leigh, Erin McCarthy, Nalini Singh & Linda Winstead Jones)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Christmas, Paranormal romance, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: A feline smile.

Synopsis

There’s something magical about Christmas and cats…

Four top-selling authors have a special gift for you this year: never-before-published holiday stories featuring passionate romance, paranormal adventure, and a distinctly alluring feline touch. With four new stories – including one featuring Lora Leigh’s genetically altered Feline Breeds – this is a collection packed with more surprises than Christmas morning, and more chills than the snowiest winter night…

Thoughts

I bought this book because I wanted something that was Christmassy to get me in the Christmas mood. I saw that I recognised one of the four authors, and figured I really couldn’t go wrong the a name like “The Magical Christmas Cat”. And boy was I not disappointed.

There isn’t an overwhelming Christmas feel to some of these stories, they’re not full on and cliched like some collections I have picked up in the past. But, there is enough of the Christmas spirit and time of year to make you excited for the madness of family and gift giving. The moments when you look around at the bedlam and go “yup, I love these nut bags” (or at least, that’s what I feel most of the time around the Christmas period).

I liked the backdrop of Christmas against these four novellas. The romance that takes place in each tale is somehow more pure and simple during the holiday season, and it also promotes feelings of mistletoe and gifts. Long nights by the firelight under the Christmas tree (even though, as an Aussie, I’ve never actually sat by the Christmas tree under the flickering lights of a fire)… there is just something fun and beautiful about these Christmassy feline stories and I definitely suggest reading it in the holiday season!

 <- Christmas HeatStroke of Enticement ->

Image source: Amazon

The Hands That Feed by Matthew Kressel

Book Review, , ,
Overview
The Mammoth Book of Steampunk

Title: The Hand That Feed
Author: Matthew Kressel
In: The Mammoth Book of Steampunk (Sean Wallace)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: LGBTQI, Steampunk
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: “Tell me, Divya,” I said.

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Synopsis

Jessica Rowe has employed Divya in her store, but she might be slowly falling for the quiet beauty. Sadly, ambitions, prejudice and a mayor candidate might be getting in the way of their happily ever after.

Thoughts

I enjoyed the slight hint of an LGBTQI relationship throughout this story – it wasn’t intense and overbearing, but there was enough that this short story gets put on the LGBTQI shelf in my collection. I also liked that you constantly questioned the actual motives of Divya as you could further see Jessica falling for her… there was just something slightly and uncomfortably off in their interactions that doesn’t truly click until the very end of the storyline when everything is revealed.

Small automatons running through the streets at night stealing objects for their master and ensuring her livelihood seems like a great novel to be honest. I’m a little bit disappointed that it was such a short story! Although, every good short story leaves me wanting more, so I suppose it’s doing that job amazingly well. The world building, characterisation and development of relationships in such a few pages was so well done, that this story continues to linger long after you have turned the final page.

 <- The People’s Machine ReviewMachine Maid Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Sophie’s Choice by William Styron

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for sophie's choice vintage book cover

Title: Sophie’s Choice
Author: William Styron
Rating Out of 5: 2 (Managed to read it… just)
My Bookshelves: Classics, History
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Penguin Random House
Year: 1979
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘Look at her,’ he said, ‘isn’t she something?’

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Synopsis

Stingo, an inexperienced twenty-two-year-old Southerner, takes us back to the summer of 1947 and a boarding house in a leafy Brooklyn suburb. There he meets Nathan, a fiery Jewish intellectual; and Sophie, a beautiful and fragile Polish Catholic. Stingo is drawn into the heart of their passionate and destructive relationship as witness, confidant and supplicant. Ultimately, he arrives at the dark core of Sophie’s past: her memories of pre-war Poland, the concentration camp and – the essence of her terrible secret – her choice.

Thoughts

I really, really couldn’t get into this. Generally, when I’m reading a classic, it takes me quite a while since I need to be in the right mood for the lyricality of the wording. But, even when I was enjoying the prose in this, I really wasn’t being drawn in by the storyline. I don’t know if it was moving too slowly, or was a little too boring, or just in general not my style of storyline, but I just couldn’t get into it.

The fact that I couldn’t really get involved in this (I read about 200 pages before I gave it up) kind of frustrated me. I was hoping to really get into this – it’s one of the stories that I’ve always wanted to read. And now that I have… I was disappointed.

Who knows, maybe I’ll pick it up again in a year or so and see how it goes…

 <- More classics reviewsMore History reviews ->
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