All posts by skyebjenner

Madly, Deeply by Alan Rickman

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Madly, Deeply: The Alan Rickman Diaries
Author: Alan Rickman
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Actors, Biographies, Celebrity, Diary, Memoirs
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I was really looking forward to reading this, so was a little bit disappointed when I found that it wasn’t as easy and enjoyable as I had anticipated. Definitely one of those books that I’ll go back to because it was difficult going and I felt like I missed a whole lot of details as I turned the pages.

One of the things that I only realised about halfway through reading this was the fact that you really need to read the footnotes. Or understand the social and political layout of Rickman’s world at the time. I finally managed to understand a whole lot more of what was going on once I started to actually click on the footnotes and connect the different people that Rickman was actually talking to.

For all that this was a difficult biography / diary to read, it was an enjoyable one too. Particularly late at night. Because I had to concentrate quite hard on the words, I found that I actually was able to fall asleep pretty comfortably at the close of each section. The perfect tale to read as a wind down at the end of a long day.

The thing that I got the most out of reading this though? That Rickman was a kind, giving man with a brilliant English wit. One that I know the world sorely misses.

<- Mrs. Sherlock HolmesThe Five ->

Image source: Kobo

Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing by Matthew Perry

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing
Author: Matthew Perry
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Actors, Addiction, Biographies, Celebrity, Memoirs
Pace: Slow
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I’m not going to lie, I’d been warned before reading this that it was fairly self-indulgent and narcissistic. And I’m really glad that I was warned. As much as I enjoyed reading this, I did not enjoy the author. I mean, good lord man, you’d think that this was written by a petulant teenager, not a grown-ass man who has had a phenomenal career.

One of the reasons that I picked this up was because I was really interested in the pathway and experiences of Hollywood. I’ve read a few memoirs and biographies of different actors lately. And they all have vastly different experiences, but all have that one thing in common – they have a really, really lucky break. Again, I enjoyed other memoirs a whole lot more because they weren’t so damn whiney and negative.

I’ve also read a lot of memoirs written by those who have to deal with addiction as an aspect of their daily lives. Again, it is ridiculous how self-indulgent Perry is. I mean, yes, it’s a horrible disease. But, as an adult and someone who is serious about recovery, you really need to concentrate on what you can change and do. He just focuses on the fact that he’s been dealt a shitty hand (haven’t we all?). As a family member with someone who is self-indulgent and has issues with addiction, I can attest that having that kind of attitude really doesn’t help.

Look, this was an interesting read, and one that I don’t regret. But, it is also not one that I would suggest for anyone who looks upon Matthew Perry with rose-coloured glasses. Or wants to know heaps about his Friends days. Neither of these things happen. Worth reading, but not one that I would read again with any kind of excitement.

<- Dreams from My FatherTruganini ->

Image source: Amazon

Courting His Countess by C.J. Archer

Book Review, ,
Overview

Title: Courting His Countess
Author: C.J. Archer
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Regency romance
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2013

Thoughts

It’s been a little while since I picked up any historical romances. Which made this a wonderful novella to use to dive straight back into this genre. Plus, although I’ve read other C.J. Archer novels, this is also my first foray into the more traditional feeling historical romances that she likes. Both things that I thoroughly enjoyed. And made me want to jump right back into another historical / regency romance. And more C.J. Archer stories. A quick, easy and light read. One that I will most definitely enjoy reading again.

I love that this is a historical romance that talks about many of the social graces and nuances that that entails. Yet, it touches on some of the battles that women still face today. In this, it is that there is a bit of controversy surrounding the marriage of the lead couple. Yet, instead of dealing with it, the husband just up and leaves. Leaving her with the fall out. Thomas may do this to try and mitigate the consequences of his actions, but, he in fact actually makes everything a whole lot worse. It’s this lack of understanding to the social morays and utter bullshit that women often face that I found really interesting. After all, it’s still bullshit and nonsense that happens today.

I love that this story starts with Thomas trying to undo the dumbassery of his past actions. And, although you can already guess that those decisions weren’t optimum, it takes a while for all of the foolish decisions to come to light. I love how you spend the whole time hoping for their happily ever after, and also thinking that Thomas is an absolute fool. All in all, this was fun and enjoyable, and I’m so glad that it was such a good happy ending.

<- More C.J. ArcherThe Mercenary’s Price ->

Image source: Goodreads

Branded by Kelley Armstrong

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Branded
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dystopia, Paranormal romance, Werewolves
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2013

Thoughts

I loved, loved, loved, loved, loved this novella. Which comes as exactly no surprise considering I love everything I have read by Kelley Armstrong. There is just something that is impossible to put down about all of her stories, and the strength of the women in her works is also completely admirable. Which, obviously, this was no exception.

I like that although this is kind of loosely based in the Otherworld series, it’s not really part of that world. It’s kind of what would happen after generations and generations of people making incredibly bad decisions. And the apocalypse / dystopian future. I love that it is showing just what can happen when prejudice and fear run rampant and destroy lives.

There is a whole lot of plotting and darkness throughout this story, and yet it is a wonderful and adorable teen romance. Even some of the plotting that in hindsight was obviously going on, wasn’t quite as obvious as in hindsight. Some of it actually took me by surprise. Always something I enjoy.

I loved this novella, and it is definitely one I’ll reread again when the urge takes me.

<- More Kelley ArmstrongWomen of the Otherworld series ->

Beyond the Wand by Tom Felton

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard
Author: Tom Felton
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Biographies, Celebrity, Memoirs
Pace: Medium
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

I, like I’m sure many others, just bought this because I’m a huge fan of Harry Potter. And, as we are all bombarded with the cast’s growth over the years, I’m actually pretty impressed with how they’ve all grown up in the spotlight. Plus, Tom Felton is one of those rare actors who managed to make a truly detestable character really sympathetic. And quotable, but that’s a whole other story. All in all, it meant that when I realised that this was a novel that existed, I was over the moon and very quickly added it to my bookshelf.

This novel starts with a truly beautiful forward by Emma Watson. It highlights the bond that they’ve built as they’ve grown and the truly meaningful friendship that they share. Straight up, you realise that there is an honesty and sweetness to their bond, and whilst Emma doesn’t feature heavily in Tom’s memoir, when he talks about her, you can see that that respect goes both ways. The kind of friendship that people dream of.

Felton is irrevocably honest, grateful and after reading this, I kind of want to be his friend. He doesn’t flinch from his mistakes and the challenges he’s faced in his past. There is no shying away from some of his dumber mistakes, and a kind of silent pride in his finer moments. Felton is able to look at the past through a lens of humour and acceptance that is seriously hard to come by as an adult.

Rather than being written in chronological order, Beyond the Wand jumps around the timeline, with each chapter having an underlying theme. Or a central story that then feeds into other, smaller tales. I love that I had no idea of what to expect with each chapter. I mean, the witty titles give you a bit of a hint, but then I mostly just got distracted by how witty the titles are. And then I’d get distracted by the wit in Felton’s retellings.

Although I couldn’t stop thinking about this, I also took quite a while to read this. Mostly because I really didn’t want this experience to be over. It’s an amazing journey that gave me a whole lot more insight into the filming of Harry Potter and what it was like growing up on screen. But, it was also about family and friends and the people you need to get through the most difficult moments of your life.

<- Island of the LostZlata’s Diary ->

Image source: Amazon

When He Was Bad by Shelly Laurenston & Cynthia Eden

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview

Title: When He Was Bad
Author: Shelly Laurenston & Cynthia Eden
In: When He Was Bad (Shelly Laurenston & Cynthia Eden)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Short story collections
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Year: 2008

Thoughts

When He Was Bad is a fantastic anthology with two yummy, steamy novellas. Just like Howl For It. They are both collections that are fun and light. But with a seriously lustful strain throughout. I absolutely adored both of the novellas in this, and I look forward to reading them again when I need a short distraction from reality.

There was honestly so much enjoyment from reading this. I read each novella in one sitting – they were just so good that I didn’t want to put them down. That used to be an impressive feat. Now I have a toddler, and it is more of an accomplishment… at least in my world.

Both the novellas in this anthology are shifter romances. There is plenty of steam and deliciously dominant males. Two worlds that I loved diving into and look forward to getting a glimpse of again.

<- Wicked WaysMiss Congeniality ->

Image source: Goodreads

Howl For It by Shelly Laurenston and Cynthia Eden

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview

Title: Howl for It
Author: Shelly Laurenston & Cynthia Eden
In: Howl For It (Shelly Laurenston & Cynthia Eden)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Shapeshifters, Short story collections, Urban fantasy, Werewolves
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Year: 2012

Thoughts

Howl For It is a fantastic collection of two wonderful, lusty novellas. They both fit nicely together in this collection, with the paranormal romance and werewolves as the centre point. Yet, Laurenston and Eden have two distinctly different voices that you will fall in love with. Both of these novellas are fast paced and filled with a decent amount of death and mayhem. A little bit of betrayal and a whole lot of strong males who can howl at the moon. Definitely a fun anthology to sweep you away on a moonlit night.

This is one of those anthologies that I’m really glad I bought, I look forward to reading it again and again. There was something kind of sweet about both of these stories. Even as they are tales that involve a whole lot of blood and death. I might already have both of these authors in my TBR, but I most definitely want more!

<- Wed or DeadLike a Wolf with a Bone ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Latest Reading Summary

List, , ,

The past chunk of time (I don’t know how long since I last wrote one of these) has been hectic as always. Parenting a toddler is hard enough all on its own. Then I add into that that I’ve taken on more coaching responsibilities and am about to start my very last Psychology subject… it’s been wonderful and somewhat insane. You can see how delayed I am in scheduling review publications though… a lot of Christmas themed stories in this summary!

Series

Short story collections

Standalones – Novels

Standalones – Novellas

Standalones – Short stories

Trust Fund by Skye Warren

Book Review, , ,
Overview

Title: Trust Fund
Author: Skye Warren
Series: Trust Fund Duet #0.5
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Slow,
Format: eBook, Novella
Year: 2018

Thoughts

This novella might be a prologue to the Trust Fund Duology, but wow, is there a lot of emotion in such a short number of pages. It is filled with emotion, intrigue, and drama. And honestly, it was such an amazing read all on its own. Now I can’t wait to see how the characters are going to develop in the two full-length novels within this series.

From the very beginning both Harper and Christopher have such a complex relationship. There’s kind of a bit of instant connection, and a bit of a nice Meet Cute moment, but it is so embroiled in political drama and nonsense. You get the feeling that anything they could potentially have is pretty much doomed from the beginning. Which, of course is what makes you root for them from the get-go.

There are so many hidden family dramas for Harper. So many that kind of break your heart. I am completely intrigued as to how these are going to develop in the greater storyline and destroy many of Harper’s potential chances at happiness. It’s definitely going to be a somewhat tragic love story in there, and I can’t wait to see how this is going to evolve…

<- More Skye WarrenSurvival of the Richest ->

Image source: Goodreads

Smart Mouth by Emma Lee Jayne

Book Review, , , ,
Overview

Title: Smart Mouth
Author: Emma Lee Jayne, SmartyPants Romance
Series: Work For It #4
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Pace: Fast
Format: eBook, Novel
Year: 2022

Thoughts

Growing up, I always wanted to have a twin – there is something that seems so fun about twin shenanigans. And now I get to read an incredibly fun story about a twin mistaken identity. Alright, that mistaken identity lasted for only a very small handful of chapters, because Tom eventually does correct Gwen’s assumption. But, still, it is a great way to start a story. Especially since this moment of mistaken identity is what finally lets Tom spend time with the girl he is somewhat unhealthily obsessed with… it gets healthier when they actually converse and communicate, but still.

I really loved Gwen in Heart Smart, she was a nice counterpoint to some of Max’s grumpiness. And I love how she ends up actually being quite a good friend to Holly. The fact that she got to go on to get her own novel was just beautiful. And glorious. And gave me all of the happy feelings. Having said that, she was honestly kind of a scaredy cat. Kind of painfully at moments if I’m being honest. But, after getting a well-deserved kick up the backside, she actually finds her bravery. The final scene where she takes charge and show her brave was painful even through the pages of a novel, but so damn good.

I love how Max and Holly are able to make another appearance in this novel. They were such a wonderful couple, and seeing how they’re going later on in life was incredibly fun and brilliant. I also love how Max absolutely demolishes Gwen at one point and makes her actually stop and look at herself and reflect. Both Max and Holly are just a wonderful couple, and their brief cameo made me so incredibly happy. As did the mention of the 50’s list from Book Smart.

Tom might be a lovely and kind of puppy-adorable character, but his constant feelings of guilt do get to be a bit much throughout this story. I kind of get where they stem from, but honestly, if it wasn’t for his damn twin being such a knob, he’d realise that things that happen when you’re a kid aren’t really your fault. His infatuation is kind of sweet, and I do love how he starts to actually make moves towards fixing his relationships, rather than just feeling guilty for moments of the past that aren’t exactly his fault.

This was just a too damn cute story. Not only was it a fantastic getting to know you, removing misconceptions story, it was just all round cute. I love every dive I take into the SmartyPants Romance world, but there is something a little bit extra lovely about Emma Lee Jayne – probably because she features those who are neurotypical (ADHD).

<- Book SmartPlay Smart ->

Image source: Goodreads