The Princess Shoes by Maureen Child

December 14, 2020Book ReviewContemporary, Contemporary romance, Maureen Child, More Than Words Volume Sixskyebjenner

More Than Words, Volume 6 (Virgin River, #10.1) by Joan Johnston

Title: The Princess Shoes
Author: Maureen Child
In: More Than Words: Volume 6 (Joan Johnston, Robyn Carr, Christina Skye, Rochelle Alers & Maureen Child)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance
Dates read: 14th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harlequin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: The organization’s story started with another little boy at a school in Pomona, California, found crying on the playground and saying his feet hurt.

USA Today bestselling author Maureen Child reminds us of the happiness and purpose that even a youngster can find by putting her best foot forward in a story inspired by Roni Lomeli, Executive Director of Shoes That Fit.

This story did a great job of highlighting how big a difference a pair of shoes can make in someone’s life. It’s cute and sweet, beautiful and just a little bit heart-wrenching. I was lucky – and this novella really reminded me of all of the things in my life that I am lucky for. Add to that the fact that there is a romance in this story and just a whole heap of sweetness…

This probably wasn’t my favourite novella in the collection. Yet, it was probably featuring one of my favourite charities / causes. Whilst they’re all good, I love the simplicity and strength that giving a child a new pair of shoes can provide. I think that I didn’t enjoy it quite as much simply because the romance was not quite as intense and didn’t draw me in as much as the others did. It was still a brilliant novella. Just not one that had me thinking about it for long afterwards.

This was a wonderful novella. Not only did it show how important it can be for children to feel comfortable and hopeful for the future. It also featured a man who had experienced the foster system himself. It was a reminder that sometimes the smallest act can have the greatest impact. And it was a wonderful, positive note upon which to end this collection.

<- No Limits

More Than Words: Volume 6 ->

Image source: Goodreads

Return by Yvonne Navarro

December 13, 2020Book ReviewGhosts, Horror, The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Womenskyebjenner

Image result for the mammoth book of ghost stories by women book cover

Title: Return
Author: Yvonne Navarro
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 13th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: My coach says I’m goo enough for the pros.

Mara has Returned.

Return deals with death a little bit differently from some of the other stories in the The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women collection. Death in this is treated as a way of finding peace and an ending to some pretty horrible things in the living world. It was seriously tragic, but I liked how death was a nice ending.

I love that throughout this story Mara says absolutely nothing. All of the drama and horribleness unfolds as she just… sits there. The moments that are revealed are spine-tingling and horrifying. And the fact that it all unfolds around a girl who just sits there and watches… it somehow made everything all that much better.

Outside of death and peace, this is all about facing up to the consequences of one’s actions. The fact that the consequences are horrible and twisted… well, it’s a good reminder that every action has consequences.

<- Freeze Out

Let Loose ->

Image source: Goodreads

An Elephant in My Kitchen by Francoise Malby-Anthony

December 13, 2020Book ReviewAfrica, conservation, Francoise Malby-Anthony, Natureskyebjenner

An Elephant in My Kitchen by Francoise Malby Anthony

Title: An Elephant in My Kitchen
Author: Francoise Malby-Anthony
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Africa, Conservation, Nature
Dates read: 11th – 13th November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Sidgwick & Jackson
Year: 2018
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘That feisty French temperament will take her places,’ I laughed.

A chic Parisienne, Francoise never expected to find herself living on a South African game reserve. But then she fell in love with conservationist Lawrence Anthony and everything changed. After Lawrence’s death, Francoise faced the daunting responsibility of running Thula Thula without him. Poachers attacked their rhinos, their security team wouldn’t take orders from a woman and the authorities were threatening to cull their beloved elephant family. On top of that, the herd’s feisty new matriarch Frankie didn’t like her.

In this heart-warming and moving book, Francoise describes how she fought to protect the herd and to make her dream of building a wildlife rescue centre a reality. She found herself caring for a lost baby elephant who turned up at her house, and offering refuge to traumatized orphaned rhinos, and a hippo called Charlie who was scared of water. As she learned to trust herself, she discovered she’d had Frankie wrong all along…

Filled with extraordinary animals and the humans who dedicate their lives to saving them, An Elephant in My Kitchen is a captivating and gripping read.

This book is… amazing. And seriously wonderful. And it made me cry. Repeatedly. And not cute, little tears. But big, fat, I kind of hate the world tears. Which I, honestly think, was the whole point. It most definitely drove home the horrors of poaching and the evils of humanity… which I already knew about. But, still, it was… intense.

An Elephant in My Kitchen is just as brilliant as the three books written by Lawrence Anthony. It is so driven by passion and love for nature. Driven by love and care. Honestly, reading these words was like talking with a friend. Or a kindred spirit. It also seriously makes me want to return to the beauty of South Africa…

The thing that makes this novel so much sadder and more tear jerking than Lawrence Anthony’s three novels is the fact that this focuses a lot closer to home. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still sad what happens in Lawrence’s novels, but there is a lot more action throughout the story. Instead, Francoise is based at home and trying to rescue orphan babies. It’s completely heartbreaking when she’s talking about the plight of babies and orphans. And the horrible lengths that people will go to to kill them…

Francoise does a great job of highlighting and promoting the importance of conservation and the horrors of poaching in this novel. She also shows the resilience and strength that she’s shown after Lawrence’s death. This is a journey of hope and survival. One that I most certainly won’t forget anytime soon.

<- The Outrun

Planet Elephant ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Perils of Effrijim by Katie MacAlister

December 12, 2020Book ReviewAisling Grey, Death's Excellent Vacation, Demons, Katie MacAlister, Paranormal Fantasy, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

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Title: The Perils of Effrijim
Author: Katie MacAlister
Series: Aisling Grey #4.5
In: Death’s Excellent Vacation (Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Demons, Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 13th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gollancz
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: I’m a sixth-class demon.

Effrijim just wants to spend his ten day vacation with the love of his life. But things don’t quite go as planned when a She-Bitch gets involved.

The first comment in my notes was “Poor Effrijim”. After all, this story is just one calamity after another. Just a whole series of problems that stop him from having a relaxing vacation and leave him feeling frustrated and ready to scream. It’s just not the optimal vacation and left me feeling seriously bad for Effrijim, even as I laughed and laughed at all of the bad that befell him.

Titania and Oberon made a great cameo appearance in this story. They’re altered story line was fun and entertaining. I also loved how militant and kick ass Titania was. After all, she is completely unorthodox and has been wronged. I also love how she decides to keep Oberon in line from now on…

Jim’s torture is what dreams are made of. It was the kind of torture and storyline that had me laughing happily throughout the entire story. I finished this with a huge grin on my face and a desire to just read more.

<- Seeing is Believing

Thin Walls ->

Image source: Amazon

The Man to Send Rain Clouds by Leslie Marmon Silko

December 12, 2020Book ReviewLeslie Marmon Silko, The Mammoth Book of Westerns, Westernsskyebjenner

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Title: The Mand to Send Rain Clouds
Author: Leslie Marmon Silko
In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Westerns
Dates read: 12th November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: He left the room and came back wearing a long brown overcoat.

This is an interesting short story which highlights the different funeral rites and farewells.

I loved how this story investigated different funeral rites, particularly those within the different cultures often represented in westerns. Since westerns normally focus on the First Settlers (or whatever you call them), it was nice to see the focus shift to something other than the Christian practices.

I love that this story bypasses the Christian rites that I was expecting. And highlights that there’s other practices out there. It was fun and one of the westerns that I’ve enjoyed more so than many other short stories in the The Mammoth Book of Westerns collection.

This was fun and a lot more inclusive than many of the other westerns that I’ve read. I’d definitely read this story again.

<- C. B. & Q.

The Waterfowl Tree ->

Image source: Hachette Australia

Freeze Out by Nancy Holder

December 12, 2020Book ReviewGhosts, Horror, Nancy Holder, The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Womenskyebjenner

Title: Freeze Out
Author: Nancy Holder
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Ghosts, Horror
Dates read: 12th November 2020
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Cody found himself remembering walking into the Lazy Daisy Flower Shop on the night of the prom to pick up Tiffany’s corsage.

It’s their mother’s funeral and their father has dementia. But he might not be as clueless as he thought he was…

Freeze Out is filled with very many creepy twists and turns. It was hard to gain a grasp on who the bad guy and the culprit in this story was. And where the ghost aspect of the ghost story would com in. Every time I felt like I had a grasp on the story, something would change and I would be swept down another turn that I just wasn’t expecting.

The “bad guy” in this story really wasn’t who I expected. Rather, towards the end, when everything was revealed, and the darkness lifted from the family… I was kind of surprised and also content to finally turn that final page.

Freeze Out was very well written and a phenomenal short story. However, it was also difficult to read and experience. Difficult in the fact that it gave me the heebie jeebies right the way through. And, although I enjoyed this, it also left a bit of a sour taste in my mouth.

<- The Third Person

Return ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Devil’s Jack by Laura Anne Gilman

December 11, 2020Book ReviewDead Man's Hand, Demons, Paranormal Fantasy, Weird Westernskyebjenner

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Title: The Devil’s Jack
Author: Laura Anne Gilman
In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Demons, Paranormal fantasy, Weird western
Dates read: 12th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Titan Books
Year: 2014
5th sentence, 74th page: “But you waited.”

Jack knew better. But he still made a deal with the devil. And now he’s Devil’s Jack, running errands for seven and seven and seven again.

A deal with the devil is never a good idea. But it is a really fun thing to read about. I mean, a deal with the devil is guaranteed to be an interesting beginning to a story. And a great driver for morally grey characters. After all, if they’re doing evil things, then it’s because the devil asked them to and it isn’t because they are evil themselves…

I love how although this is a story about a man who has sold his soul to the devil, it’s primarily about him outsmarting the devil. And the fact that both he and the devil know that even if he’s momentarily outsmarted the devil, it’s just a moment. A quiet little rebellion that ultimately does nothing for Jack.

This was a really fun and humorous short story. I absolutely adored it and had a huge smile on my face the whole time that I was reading it. It was funny and cute. Full of clever, witty moments and just a seriously enjoyable read.

<- What I Assume You Shall Assume

The Golden Age ->

Image source: Amazon

The Third Person by Lisa Tuttle

December 11, 2020Book ReviewHorror, Lisa Tuttle, The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Womenskyebjenner

Title: The Third Person
Author: Lisa Tuttle
In: The Mammoth Book of Ghost Stories by Women (Marie O’Regan)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Horror
Dates read: 10th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “I have to meet Andrew at Ikea in thirty-five minutes, but that should be plenty of time for a coffee,” Rachel said, with a hug and kiss Imogen was not quick enough to avoid.

Imogen has always been the third person in her friends’ marriage. Now she’s the third person in an affair, but could things be far more sinister than even she realised?

I’m writing this review the morning after I read this story. And I can tell you, that of all the ghost stories that I’ve been reading recently, this is the one that made it really hard to sleep last night. After all, the final scene is of a knife and someone running in the help that they can defend themselves… it was seriously open-ended and made me stop to think about who has access to my house.

This whole story left a bitter taste in my mouth. From beginning to end. Not only because it features an affair, but all of those other little moments and hints throughout… I can’t imagine being a third person / wheel in someone else’s life, and this just made it all that much more… creepy. There were just way too many stalkerish vibes throughout this story.

All in all, this was seriously creepy and uncomfortable. But it’s also a bit of a reminder of some of the dangers and pitfalls of being a woman. Yup, sometimes it just seriously sucks…

<- Seeing Nancy

Freeze Out ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Corsage by Lauren Myracle

December 10, 2020Book ReviewHorror, Lauren Myracle, Paranormal Fantasy, Prom Nights from Hell, Young Adultskyebjenner

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Title: The Corsage
Author: Lauren Myracle
In: Prom Nights from Hell (Meg Cabot, Stephenie Meyer, Kim Harrison, Michele Jaffe & Lauren Myracle)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Horror, Paranormal fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 10th November 2020
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher:Harper Collins
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The corsage curled, as if the petals were shrinking in on themselves.

A girl who is desperate for her forever boy to ask her to prom finds a corsage that will grant three wishes. But what follows creates a prom night from hell.

This was a seriously creepy and tragic prom story. Like goosebumps and looking over your shoulder (which in my case meant looking at a blank wall) type creepy. And yet, it was somehow kind of sweet and most definitely heartbreaking. More the kind of prom that I want to read about than the happy, sappy happily ever after crap. Which we won’t go too much into what that actually says about me…

The Corsage is a prom story about first loves and first heartbreaks. With a pretty major twist – it’s not the kind of heartbreak that you would expect. Or at least, it wasn’t what I would have expected in this collection. I had honestly anticipated a lot more happiness and cheerful endings. I’m so happy that Myracle proved me wrong.

Like a lot of stories that feature wish fulfillment in some way, this story acted as a great reminder that what you wish for may not be what you actually want and need. And sometimes making a wish can be the worst possible thing to do. It leaves this story sitting in my pile of not-so-happily-ever-after stories. And definitely one of my favourite novellas…

<- The Exterminator’s Daughter

Madison Avery and the Dim Reaper ->

Image source: Harper Collins

Black Train by Jeff Mariotte

December 10, 2020Book ReviewJeff Mariotte, Weird Western, Westward Weird, Wild west, Zombiesskyebjenner

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Title: Black Train
Author: Jeff Mariotte
In: Westward Weird (Martin H. Greenberg & Kerrie Hughes)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Weird western, Wild west, Zombies
Dates read: 10th November 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Daw Books
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: “Believe me, I would love to oblige, sir,” the man said.

Two men are in love with the same woman, and on a hunting trip. What you think is going to go wrong gets slightly derailed when they stumble across a black train and a plot to destroy.

I really enjoyed this mould-driven short story. After all, mould is actually kind of a scary and insidious thing if you really think about it. So using it as a biological weapon and scary object in this short story was brilliant. And made me want to scrub every inch of my house to make sure that there wasn’t any zombie mould anywhere…

I found Evan and Charlie to be a very interesting team. They are so unalike, yet so similar at the same time. A great little juxtaposition that drew me in. Plus, from the beginning it’s obvious that they really don’t like one another. Though the depths of this dislike are only slowly unveiled. Yet another aspect of this story that I quite enjoyed – not everything was spelt out and indicated from the very beginning, but it is slowly revealed.

As with many short stories that I love, this tale ends with a very open-ended feeling. It highlights the dangers of such a weapon. And, just generally left me with a goosebump feeling. And some serious awkwardness.

<- The Clockwork Cowboy

Lone Wolf ->

Image source: Amazon

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

The Princess Shoes by Maureen Child

Return by Yvonne Navarro

An Elephant in My Kitchen by Francoise Malby-Anthony

The Perils of Effrijim by Katie MacAlister

The Man to Send Rain Clouds by Leslie Marmon Silko

Freeze Out by Nancy Holder

The Devil’s Jack by Laura Anne Gilman

The Third Person by Lisa Tuttle

The Corsage by Lauren Myracle

Black Train by Jeff Mariotte