Title: Second Hand Author: Rajan Khanna In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Weird western, Wild west Dates read: 19th September 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Titan Books Year: 2014 5th sentence, 74th page: No wonder Gunsmith survived for as long as she did.
In a world where you are gifted one deck of Cards, people are constantly scrambling to find a way to prolong their powers…
Cards and gambling appear to be a fairly big aspect of westerns and the whole idea of the Wild West. So of course, in a collection of Weird Westerns, there should be one that focuses on the power of cards. And boy is it a power. I love how the cards are magical weapons. It’s such a fantastic idea, and I’m kind of hoping that there are more stories which use this idea by Khanna.
At the beginning of this short story, I was convinced that it was all about gambling and card games and the dangers of this. It wasn’t until a little further in that I realised that it was more of a gunslinger story. Just with the guns being constructed by something else – playing cards that can do powerful and very intriguing things.
This story was a little fun. And a little evil. After all, it’s a mother and daughter who try and kill each other. And then they try and kill the protagonists. And just in general, there is a lot of scheming and killing. But, nevertheless. I still really enjoyed it. And can’t wait to sink my teeth into more, similar stories!
Title: We Hunt the Flame Author: Hafsah Faizal Series: Sands of Arawiya #1 Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Arabic, Fantasy, Historical fiction, Magic, Young adult Dates read: 4th – 19th September 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: She clenched her teeth and dug in her heels.
People lived because she killed. People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.
Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.
This novel was just… astounding. Like I am seriously, ridiculously impressed and somewhat jealous of the fact that this is Faizal’s first novel. I always know that I’ve read a good book because I finish it and just… kind of… pause. And stare into space. Which is exactly what I did at the conclusion of this story. I just sat there… staring into space and feeling all of the feelings that this novel bought on.
I love that this is a book unlike anything that I’ve ever read. For starters, I really haven’t read many books that are based on historical Arabia (I think that I’m writing that correctly…). So it was a whole new immersion and experience for me. Plus, the storyline, whilst with a few similarities to some of the storylines in YA books that I’ve read… it somehow felt totally different. Or maybe I just need to read more YA books… not only was the setting and background so completely unexpected, but it also made me feel intrigued to find more authors who focus on similar patterns and moments in history – I have a lot of Regency, Victorian and UK based history books. Now I need to find more like this…
Closing the final page of this book left me with so damn many feelings! I can’t wait to see what happens in the sequel! Actually, first thing I did… after staring into space trying to process everything that I had just experienced was to find out when the next book is out and what happens. Yet another book that I have to add to my wishlist and remain hopefully looking out for the publication date. I hope that everything going on in the world doesn’t delay it!!!
Not only was this an amazing adventure set against a brilliant background, it was also a story which beautifully focused on the strength of love and women. From the very outset – it’s about women being able to do what they want and having a strength completely comparable to that of men. Partnered with how love can alter and shape us… save us in some circumstances… it just felt so beautifully optimistic.
Title: Bluebird Author: Malcolm Knox Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary Dates read: 9th – 18th September 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Allen & Unwin Year: 2020 5th sentence, 74th page: Sam let this pass, out of respect for the awkwardness of Gordon’s situation or because he saw a wave.
A stunning new novel about longing, regret, redemption and the terrible legacy of decades of secrets buried in an Australian beachside suburb.
A house perched impossibly on a cliff overlooking the stunning, iconic Bluebird Beach. Prime real estate, yet somehow not real estate at all, The Lodge is, like those who live in it, falling apart.
Gordon Grimes has become the accidental keeper of this last relic of an endangered world. He lives in The Lodge with his wife Kelly who is trying to leave him, their son Ben who will do anything to save him, his goddaughter Lou who is hiding from her own troubles, and Leonie, the family matriarch who has trapped them here for their own good.
But Gordon has no money and is running out of time to conserve his homeland. His love for this way of life will drive him, and everyone around him, to increasingly desperate risks. In the end, what will it cost them to hang onto their past?
Acclaimed writer Malcolm Knox has written a classic Australian novel about the myths that come to define families and communities, and the lies that uphold them. It’s about a certain kind of Australia that we all recognise, and a certain kind of Australian whose currency is running out. Change is coming to Bluebird, whether they like it or not. And the secrets they’ve been keeping and the lies they’ve been telling can’t save them now.
Savage, funny, revelatory and brilliant, Bluebird exposes the hollowness of the stories told to glorify a dying culture and shows how those who seek to preserve these myths end up being crushed by them.
It took me a little while to truly get into this novel. To be honest, at first I didn’t think that I’d enjoy it all. I found the lead character, Gordon, a little difficult to feel sympathy for or bond with. But about two chapters in, that all changed. Somehow all of those little moments that made it difficult to feel bonded with Gordon suddenly became the very reasons why I wanted him to find his own happiness and bliss. It was completely unexpected and kind of exciting. Definitely a talented way to make you seriously feel for a character, whilst also highlighting all of their flaws (and who doesn’t love a flawed protagonist?)
Even though I did eventually feel somewhat attached to Gordon, he was still a fairly wishy washy and somewhat whinney feeling protagonist. Personally, I generally prefer my leads to have a bit of a backbone. And even though he does finally manage to do so, it’s still not the backbone that I would have liked to see. Yet, having said that. There is not a thing I would change about him – I feel like that’s a truly wonderful talent – creating a protagonist that I would normally kind of hate, and making me think that he was ultimately perfect.
The part of this story that I enjoyed the most was the constant familiarity throughout the story. There were so many scenes, moments and characters that felt like the people and places that I know in my everyday life. A small town that is stuck in its ways and impossible to forget. Difficult to let go of and hard to move on from? It was definitely the kind of story that plucked all of my nostalgic, Aussie heart strings. I’m not really sure how someone not from Australia would feel about all of this nostalgia, but I’ll certainly be recommending this to my overseas friends as well as my local friends!
This is a great and very intense story that focuses on the things we do for love – whether that’s staying or leaving. Keeping secrets or telling the truth. Love definitely governs all in this story, with a dash of secret keeping and the ties that bind us to family. It was intense and gorgeous. Definitely a book well worth reading!
Title: Great Medicine Author: Steve Frazee In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis) Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Westerns Dates read: 17th September 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 2013 5th sentence, 74th page: He looked at his medicine then, solemnly.
Little Belly thinks that the white men have great medicine. So he steals it. Things go downhill from there…
I like that this short story touches upon issues of power, medicine and mercy. How power can be a number of things. And the symbolic importance people attach to objects in order to understand the division of power.
Having said that, I really didn’t get sucked into this. I’m truly understanding the fact at this point that although I’m going to finish the The Mammoth Book of Westerns collection, I’m really not that into Western short stories. I just find them a bit “eh” to follow and sink into.
This may not be my favourite short story. But it’s also not my least favourite, and not that bad either. It was just a pleasant, albeit forgetful twenty minutes to wile away the hours.
Title: Obsidian Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout Series: Lux #1 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Aliens, Romance, Science fiction, Young adult Dates read: 28th July – 17th September 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Hodder Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: It wasn’t usually the safest way to travel.
The unputdownable first novel in the Lux series. Daemon Black will set pulses racing…
There’s an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he’s hot… until he opens his mouth. He’s infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he marks me. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.
When Katy moves to West Virginia right before her senior year, she’s anticipating a whole lot of boring. The last thing on her mind is getting involved with her sexy, exasperating neighbour – and then finding out he’s guarding a mind-blowing secret…
This was a seriously good novel. It took me a little while to read, but mostly because I kept getting distracted by other, shinier books. It was still wonderful and fun. This was a great teenage / young adult book with great world building and a lead female who I could really relate to. Definitely an enjoyable adventure. And, now that I’ve finished it… I can’t wait to read the next one and journey back into Armentrout’s world of the Lux.
This had a pretty typical level of the teen angst that I’m used to looking for in a young adult novel. But it was a little less painful than some of the other young adult books I’ve read – the angst was nicely balanced by the gumption and drive of Kat. I actually really enjoyed the angst that was a part of this story – it wasn’t over the top and painful, and honestly, if I had to deal with Daemon’s attitude like Kat does… I’d be pretty angsty and irritable myself.
I absolutely love the world building that Armentrout does in this series. I enjoyed the prequel Shadows, and that had a nice little introduction into this series. But it didn’t give me a full background into the world of the Lux. This novel most definitely did that. Although, I’m glad I know a little more about Dawson from Shadows. It’s a great world building that I can’t wait to sink my metaphorical teeth into… I just need to save up some money before I buy the next book is all…
Kat and Daemon definitely don’t have a cutesy, sweet relationship. Which I most definitely love. I get a bit fed up with relationships in books (both young adult and adult) which focus on the cutesy, love at first sight angle. That just doesn’t feel overly realistic to me. Instead, Daemon and Kat are constantly niggling at one another and making things somewhat difficult for each other. It’s a lot more similar to the healthy relationships that I see in my life (even if this one isn’t totally healthy).
I absolutely can’t wait to read Oblivion – I’m fascinated to see what all of the moments in Obsidian looked like through Daemon’s eyes. There are some wonderful and fun hints at the end of Obsidian, but I look forward to getting even more insight.
Title: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life Author: Mark Manson Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Non-fiction, Psychology, Self help Dates read: 27th August – 16th September 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: MacMillan Year: 2016 5th sentence, 74th page: Because we’re brothers; we’re supposed to have a good relationship!
EVERYTHING WE’VE BEEN TOLD ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES IS WRONG. NOW SUPERSTAR BLOGGER MARK MANSON TELLS US WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO GET IT RIGHT.
For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. Drawing on academic research and the life experience that comes from breaking the rules, Mark Manson is ready to explode that myth. The key to a good life, according to Manson, is the understanding that ‘sometimes life is messed up and we have to live with it’.
Manson says that instead of trying to turn lemons into lemonade, we should learn to stomach lemons betters, and stop distracting ourselves from life’s inevitable disappointments chasing money, success and possessions. It’s time to re-calibrate our values and what it means to be happy: there are only so many thing we can worry about, he says, so we need to figure out which ones really matter.
From the writer whose blog draws two million readers a month and filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humour, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a **** is a welcome antidote to the ‘let’s-all-feel-good’ mindset that has infected modern society.
Alright, I can see why this is such a big, top selling novel / self help book. It was spot on with most of what was said, and even though I’ve already (funnily enough) started down this road of giving limited “fucks”, I also had a lot more moments that I feel like I should integrate into my daily life. It was such a fun, great and somewhat easy read. Yet, it was also kind of poignant and true. Definitely a book that I would (and have) recommend to others.
Mot of the time when there’s a lot of swearing in a story, I’m a bit “eh” about it all. It doesn’t often add anything to the writing, but just feels a little… titillating. That wasn’t the case for this. Yes, it’s more swearing than any of the books I’ve read. But it helped to make each and every point. For the first time that I can remember in my reading, I actually enjoyed the swearing and found it completely helped along not only Manson’s point, but also had me laughing frequently.
I’ve read this book at a really good point in my life. I’ve been letting go of all of my career goals (I realised that they weren’t quite what I wanted out of life) and started to redecide what I find important in life. And honestly, this novel let me know that what I’m doing and how I’m approaching my life now is actually okay. The stripping back of the bullshit is just what I needed to do, and this novel helped me to see how and understand the ways in which I can do this.
Most of the self help books I’ve read are honestly kind of wanky. There’s honestly no other word for it. But this one I actually found interesting and useful. It was full of great information. And just generally an all round enjoyable read. One that taught me a few things in the process of enjoying it.
Title: Hounded Author: Kevin Hearne Series: The Iron Druid Chronicles #1 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Celtic, Magic, Mythology, Urban fantasy Dates read: 18th August – 15th September 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Harper Voyager Year: 2011 5th sentence, 74th page: <May I have some tea, then?>
Atticus O’Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona running an occult bookshop and shapeshifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbours and customers think this handsome, tattooed Irishman is about twenty-one years old when, actually, it’s twenty-one centuries. Atticus draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.
Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants the sword, and he’s been after Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down and Atticus will need all his powers – plus a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of lawyers, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good, old-fashioned Irish luck – to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.
This story was kind of fun and brilliant. It was filled with action, humour, and my favourite think of all – mythology. In particular, Celtic mythology and the practices of Druids. Don’t get me wrong, the wit and the wonder of the story are thing that I completely love. But it is just all that much better when it’s partnered with some great magic and mayhem. This is one of those books that definitely ticked all of my happy boxes.
Although I’ve always felt a little drawn to Celtic folklore and Druidry, I’ve not really had much exposure to it. So it was nice to not only experience a new folklore / mythos in a book, but to learn so many, many things along the way. I always love when a new fantasy aspect works its way into my reading list. Sadly, I don’t have any of the other books on my shelves… so now I have to wait to throw myself headfirst into this series again, much to my chagrin.
I’ve read a lot of books with great sidekicks. But, I must admit… Oberon has GOT to be my absolute favourite. He is funny, cute and has the exact voice that I imagine my big dog would have (the little one would be WAY more sassy). I love that the sidekick is a dog that can communicate, but rather than giving him a lot of human traits, he’s doglike in all of his desires and drives. I actually bought this book because of the short story The Naughtiest Cherub, which kind of features Oberon in some ways. After all, any series which features a massive dog as a cheerful and happy sidekick and companion… that’s going to make me incredibly happy.
To further enhance my love of this story – Hearne manages to take a lot of the traditional paranormal creatures I tend to come across in many of my fantasy books. But, then he’s added some more Celtic and druidic characters. Including some of the Tuatha De Danan. I love that there is such a heavy Irish tilt to this story, one that I just can’t stop thinking about and quite honestly, just can’t quite get enough of.
Title: Hell from the East Author: Hugh Howey In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Weird westerns, Westerns Dates read: 14th September 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Titan Books Year: 2014 5th sentence, 74th page: Their final resting spot was a scrabble of tents and rickety shacks ringed by a shoddy wall of pine stumps where the best that could be said was they fed you twice a day.
He’s supposed to be fighting for his people. But sometimes hell rises in the East and there is just no escaping it…
This was a nice little, short story. It was nothing intense and completely unforgettable. But it was enjoyable and memorable. It also touched on a good topic – the darkness and horror of colonisation and invasion. The damage that is done with the arrival of colonisers and all sorts of horrible people.
One of the aspects of this story that I loved was that you never quite knew what side the narrator of the story was actually on. Whether they were “good” or “bad”. And really, who the “good” and “bad” were. For me, it helped to highlight the confusion that such a time in history could cause and create.
The conclusion of this story helps to highlight the fact that everything comes full circle. That everything will happen again and history constantly repeats. It might be stated in the fact that “hell comes from the east”. But it most certainly does. Actually, in some ways it reminded me very much of some parts of Terra Nullius.
Title: Moonlight Road Author: Robyn Carr Series: Virgin River #10 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 17th August – 11th September 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Mira Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: Are you going to be a beautician when you grow up?
With her beloved younger siblings settled and happy, Erin Foley has empty-next syndrome. At age thirty-five.
So she’s hitting the pause button on her life and holing up in a secluded (but totally upgraded – she’s not into roughing it) cabin near Virgin River. Erin is planning on getting to know herself… not the shaggy-haired mountain man she meets.
In fact, beneath his faded fatigues and bushy beard, Aiden Riordan is a doctor, recharging for a summer after leaving the navy. He’s intrigued by the pretty, slightly snooty refugee from the rat race – her meditating and journaling are definitely keeping him at arm’s length. He’d love to get closer… if his scruffy exterior and crazy ex-wife don’t hold him back.
But maybe it’s something in the water – unlikely romances seem to take root in Virgin River… helped along by some well-intentioned meddling, of course.
One of my favourite things about any romance series is the way in which the characters are all intertwined in some way, shape and form. And Carris able to bring this talent to a whole new level – the further into the series of Virgin River that I go, the most intertwined everybody becomes and the more I get sucked into this amazing world. I love that it kind of reflects real life (at least in my small part of the world) in that everybody is connected in some way, shape or form.
The meet cute between Erin and Aiden is probably my favourite so far in this series… after all, he scares the crap out of her and manages to get her to knock herself unconscious. Alright, maybe not the meet cute that I would have wanted in my life. But it was still a great beginning in a romance book. The fact that they are both already connected to past characters within the series – Marcie, Sean, Shelby, etc. just made their meeting all that much cuter (see what I did there).
I love that this is a melding of two highly trained professionals – a doctor and a lawyer. It’s not something that I necessarily come across frequently in the stories that I read – generally there is one of this sort of professional, not two trying to find their new lives and their happily ever after. The fact that it kind of becomes derailed by Analee – the most terrifying derailment so far, just helps to highlight the awesomeness of this couple. They somehow seem tougher and a little scarier than some of the other couples. I’d certainly not want to mess with them anyway!
On top of the wild ride that is Erin and Aiden falling for each other, Mel and Jack continue to have their own side story. I’m at a point in my life when quite a few friends are getting pregnant or trying to. So reading about Mel’s difficulty in dealing with her hysterectomy and the residual issues that accompany such a thing… it seemed like a fantastic time to face up to and confront such a tough topic. It’s one of my favourite things about this series – that confrontation of issues that many people face, but no one really talks about…
Title: The Star of New Mexico Author: Seanan McGuire Series: InCryptid #0.14 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Paranormal fantasy, Strong women, Urban fantasy Dates read: 25th September 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Free online short story Publisher: Seanan Mcguire Year: 2015 5th sentence, 74th page: “We’re not set up for long term storage,” the funeral home director had said.
Almost twenty years ago, Jonathan Healy rode a train across the country to investigate reports that something was killing people in the wake of a small family circus. Almost twenty years ago, he brought home the woman who would be his wife, the mother of his children, and his partner in the endless quest to protect the cryptids of the world. The time has come for Fabulous Fran, the Flower of Arizona, the Star of New Mexico, to take the stage for the final time, and take her final bow.
Fran touched a lot of lives in her time in Buckley, and the people who loved her are coming to say goodbye. It’s not going to be easy. The things that are most important so very rarely are.
They say she never missed a shot; she was the darling of the west. But now she’s gone, and the ones she’s left behind must figure out what this means for them.
After reading Broken Paper Hearts, I thought McGuire was done with breaking my heart. Boy was I wrong. Oh, so damn wrong. Evil woman managed to do it again. I finished this short story with that same horrid feeling of sadness and confusion that the previous short story left. But, it was somehow even worse because this was actually saying goodbye and dashing all hopes that Fran would be coming back…
This short story most definitely asks the question – how do you say goodbye to the ones that you love? And, more importantly… what would you do if you had to say goodbye? Would you come back from the dead? Or would you stay gone and let your family move on? How do you move on? So many questions and thoughts running through my head right now!
One of the things I love about this is that Alice is obviously a little butt-kicker and I can’t wait to see how she’s going to kick butt into the future. I think the next few InCryptidshort stories are all about her… so I look forward to finding out just how tough a woman she is going to become!
Earth and Skye 