Title: Beecher Island Author: Wayne D. Overholser In: The Mammoth Book of Westerns (Jon E. Lewis) Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this) My Bookshelves:Westerns Dates read: 17th October 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Robinson Year: 1970 5th sentence, 74th page: Damn that Forsyth!
Sam is in the middle of a gunfight on Beecher Island. Will they win? Will he ever get home to the farm?
This was a really wonderful description of battle. It wasn’t glorious and it wasn’t filled with people with an overzealous ideal. Rather, it was all about a young lad who just wants to go home to his farm and… well, live. Partnered with the actual descriptiveness of this all. I thought that it worked quite well.
Having said that, this really wasn’t as blood thirsty and graphically intense as some of the stories I’ve been reading lately. A nice little break if I’m being honest. It created a nice story in which battle isn’t about the glory and the blood – but rather, it’s about just wanting to go home and find your own zen.
For me, ultimately, this wasn’t so much a story about war, but about the stupidity of it. This may be my own ideals coming through. But still…
Title: Across the Nightingale Floor Author: Lian Hearn Series: Tales of the Otori #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Asia, Fantasy, Historical fiction, Japan Dates read: 18th October 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Hachette Australia Year: 2002 5th sentence, 74th page: He was gone from the garden, and I was beginning to wonder if I’d seen another mirage, when I heard voices from the upstairs room.
In his fortress at Inuyama, the murderous warlord Iida Sadamu surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard.
Brought up in a remote village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people, Takeo has learned only the ways of peace. Why, then, does he possess the deadly skills that make him so valuable to the sinister Tribe? These supernatural powers will lead him to his violent destiny wihtin teh walls of Inuyama – and to an impossible longing for a girl who can never be his. His journey is one of revenge and treachery, beauty and magic, and the passion of first love.
This was a seriously beautiful and powerful novel. I’ve had it sitting on my shelf for a while, and just hadn’t gotten around to it… and wow. Was I missing out (this seems to be a pretty common theme with me though…). I loved the world building, the characters, the story… everything that Hearn constructed in this was just… intense. And wonderful. Definitely looking forward to reading Grass for His Pillow soon.
The setting and historical feel of this story was awesome. I remember going to Japan as a young child, and I’ve studied the language for years. Which just made this feel even more amazing as I journeyed throughout the pages. Not only was it a historical fiction based in an entirely new and unique location (compared to the other historical fictions on my shelves). But it was one that already draws me in and fascinates me. Which may be a pretty significant contributor to my love of this story…
As much as I loved this story. It wasn’t a happy one. Throughout the whole thing I felt like my heart was breaking a little. it didn’t really matter what point of the story I was at, there was a little bit of heart break. This was that bittersweet kind of story that is beautiful, but it’s beautiful because of all the greys, and there is no rainbow. Which, of course, just served to make it all that much more unforgettable.
This is definitely one of the best books that I’ve picked up in a while. I have been steering clear of books with a lot of backstory lately (I have no idea why) and I think that this has cured me of that. There is so much political intrigue, drama and tangled webs. Which just leaves you thinking “what will happen next” after you turn that final page.
Title: Children of Blood and Bone Author: Tomi Adeyemi Series: Legacy of Orisha #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Africa, Fantasy, Magic, Young adult Dates read: 31st August – 17th October 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: MacMillan Year: 2018 5th sentence, 74th page: “Thank you,” I whisper into her fur.
THEY KILLED MY MOTHER. THEY TOOK OUR MAGIC. THEY TRIED TO BURY US. NOW WE RISE.
This is one of those books that I keep looking at, and seriously wanting to pick up. But then, because I’m somewhat of a child… I get distracted, see something shiny and find something else. Plus, it’s a pretty big book, so I did found it somewhat of an intimidating idea to read. And now I’m regretting not reading this as soon as it came out and found a home on my shelves. Because this is freaking awesome. As in turn the final page and then just stare into space with a really bad book hangover kind of awesome…
This story is all about oppression and power. The inequality and narratives that are often told to justify marginalising and preying upon another group. Whilst this is loosely set in Africa, there were many moments throughout this that were cringe-worthy as I thought about what has been done to Australia’s First Nations Peoples. It is a story that is sadly told across the world, and I loved how this novel dealt with such an issue. How a very, very difficult conversation is had in the pages of this story that will, hopefully, help a whole new generation understand a little bit more about the past.
Zel and Amari are the most fantastic female leads I’ve come across in a while. Zel is all hard edges and aggression. She is so obviously trying to fit into a world and identity that is too small for her. But, there is also a lot of sadness and despair there. Which I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow. Because boy does she mature throughout this novel. And Amari is nothing like what I would have expected as a counterpoint. She begins as someone who seems to be all soft edges and gentleness. And then, as the story continues, you find that backbone of steel and strength. And that gentleness and understanding that Zel lacks. I really hope that these two become best of friends, because I can’t really imagine it turning out any other way…
This is an amazing novel. It introduced me to aspects of African culture, which of course I know next to nothing about. It reminded me of my White Privilege. And it manage to intertwine all of this with an amazing young adult fantasy story of magic and mayhem. Power and triumphing over evil. I really can’t wait to see where Adeyemi takes Zel and Amari next…
Title: I Am Malala Author: Malala Yousafzai Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Biographies, Feminism, Memoirs, Strong women Dates read: 11th – 16th October 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson Year: 2012 5th sentence, 74th page: But all this time the mufti was watching.
I come from a country that was created at midnight When I almost died it was just after midday. When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan. One girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday October 9 2012 when she was fifteen. She almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school and few expected her to survive. Instead. Malala’s miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel…
There are just some people in the world who seem to make me feel bad for the many, many things that I don’t do. It’s not necessarily a bad thing… just a, well… thing. That feeling of guilt that accompanies the reminder that there are some seriously bad arse, tough, amazing women out in the world. And Malala Yousafzai is most certainly one of them. That’s not to say that reading I Am Malala made me feel guilty or horrible, but it served as a reminder of the awesomeness of this young woman.
The journey that Malala takes is just phenomenal. And I can’t really describe that feeling of this is really awesome that you will get whilst reading this. Not just because of what Malalahas accomplished, but also the family that she’s from and her love of her people and country. Every single word in this novel speaks of humility and love. And it makes this just… phenomenal. And one of those books that is impossible to forget.
I love that this book, even though it is about Malala’s journey, is really mostly about her family. Almost every sentence is about them. And, in particular, her father. It shows you that people who create great change don’t actually do this on their own… they have a family and people around them that help them accomplish everything and anything that they put their mind to. And for Malala, that driving factor is her father. And, considering the culture in which they both come from… that is somehow all that much more phenomenal.
This is one of those books that I think everyone needs to read. It is phenomenal and powerful. Unforgettable and a seriously intense and glorious journey. This is just one of those novels and lives that I will remember anytime I’m feeling negative, pessimistic or like a downright bore.
Title: Houston, We Have a Problem Author: Erin McCarthy Series: Florida Doctors #2 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 13th – 16th October 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Brava Year: 2004 5th sentence, 74th page: Her hands were tight on his shoulders, digging in with hard, short nails and Josie panted, murmuring something that sounded like a plea for help over and over.
Wickedly funny, and hot, hot, hot – when it comes to romance that’s smart and sexy, Erin McCarthy is second to none. Now, the author of BAD BOYS ONLINE and SMART MOUTH brings together two doctors who makes no bones about the uncontrollable passion that’s about to change their thoughts about love, sex, and physical therapy…
USE AS DIRECTED, FOR AS LONG AS IT TAKES
Dr. Houston Hayes has never had trouble maintaining his professional distance with both patients and co-workers…until he meets resident Josie Adkins. Every time the tiny tornado of cheery clumsiness drops a chart in his presence, he’s treated to a view that makes him extremely interested in her bones. Jumping them, that is. For a man who prides himself on control at all times, this is getting to be a problem. And problems always have solutions…
All her life, Josie has wanted to be a surgeon. But how can she do that while she’s suffering from the debilitating Dr. Hayes Induced Dropping Medical Equipment Syndrome? Honestly, with those ice blue eyes and powerful shoulders dripping down to a – whoops, there goes the blood pressure cuff – what’s a girl to do? And then Dr. Hayes shocks her by prescribing a very sexy cure: one night of sheet-burning passion to erase the sexual tension for both of them. But only one night… he won’t need more than that…
Suddenly, Josie has her mission – a chance to prove the arrogant Dr. Hayes wrong. One night with her will never be enough if she has her way. And soon, both doctors may be falling into a desire deeper than any they’ve ever known… one that makes them hungry for more…
This isn’t my favourite McCarthy book. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t as amazing as the others so far. Rather than leaving me grinning like a school girl on Christmas, I was mostly just happily smiling at the end of this story. Happy, calm and content. Just not excited and bubbly like the rest of the books I’ve read by McCarthy.
I did love the setting of this story though – a romance based on the beach with surfing and medicine as a backdrop? Yeah… that’s the kind of story that I tend to like. Having said that, sex on a surfboard… that just seems… unwieldy and seriously, seriously awkward. Like. Wow. There are many things I want to try that I’ve read about in books (knife throwing being one of them), but sex on a surfboard? Hard pass on that. Not even sure if it’s really all that… well… doable.
Josie is a fun lead. She is cute and quirky. Bubbly and seriously smart. I also love that even though she is stupid in love, she manages to stand up for herself and knows that she deserves better. The strength that that must take is phenomenal and I think it’s important to have characters in stories who are willing to walk away from love and lust when they know that they’re not being given what they deserve.
At the beginning of the story, I actually quite liked Houston. But as the story unfolded… I don’t know, I found him a little bit less interesting and enthralling. There was just something… missing about him. I think that it’s maybe just an indication of how amazingly McCarthy has grown in her writing over the years… I fall much harder and much quicker for some of her more recent male leads…
When a flinty lawyer with a bad-boy addiction meets the quintessential nice guy, sparks fly that consume their expectations of life and love.
This was a cute, sweet and easy to read novella. Perfect for a night when I started feeling kind of sick and just wanted to curl up in a ball with a nice romance…
To be honest, this story mostly just made me want my own hunky Irish man dressed up in a Santa suit… I could almost hear that wonderful Irish lilt as I read this story. Which was completely perfect. And made me feel very, very happy. After all, isn’t that what reading a contemporary romance is all about? Some slightly off-subject fantasy that makes you feel happy and a little bit dreamy.
Alright, Jordan is kind of a bit of a pain in this story. And so completely incapable of owning her feelings. Which is somewhat… frustrating. But then, I completely understand. And, although I’m a little bit more on Will’s side throughout this story… it was nice to finish this cute little romance with both partners in the couple giving up their preconceived ideals and entering the relationship with a little give and take. Which, ultimately is necessary in all relationships…
Title: The Pregnancy Test Author: Erin McCarthy Series: Sexy in NYC #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance Dates read: 12th – 13th October 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Brava Year: 2005 5th sentence, 74th page: Where is he?
If life is a series of tests, Mandy Keeling just hit the mother lode.
Ordinarily, I’m a fan of pink – lovely color, does smashing things for the complexion. But not when it’s the bright, glaring stripe staring back at me on the pregnancy test. Then, pink is the color of major oops, of morning sickness, of boyfriends who seemed decent but now are part of some Jerk Witness Protection Program.
Still, I’ve got a few things going for me – bitter humor, a divine right to eat till I’m the size of Marlon Brando, and good friends who’ve managed to get me a job interview with one Damien Sharpton: in need of a personal assistant, and some say, a good, swift kick in the arse. If you want to make a lasting impression, by all means, toss your cookies in your future boss’s wastebasket, which is located directly between his excruciatingly sexy legs.
Apparently, Mr. Gorgeous-But-Unbearably-Anti-Social must like personal assistants who violate his trashcan, because I got the job. And if I can avoid him via text messaging for the next seven months of free health insurance, everything will be just fine. Except that he’s just asked – no, insisted – that I go with him on a business trip to the Caribbean. Gulp. Ordinarily, this would be cause for celebration. Ordinarily, I’d shave my legs, pack my bikini, revel in day-glo drinks and seething lust for Mr. Swarthy-And-Seductive. But there’s nothing ordinary about this situation… which means it could be absolutely extraordinary…
Oh. I absolutely loved this novel. It was cute, quaint and a really easy read. Everything about it was just simple, fun and incredibly flirty. Alright, there were a few moments of sexual intensity, but I mostly just found this to be really and seriously sweet. Which, honestly, is generally what I’m looking for in an Erin McCarthy novel. Or really, in most of the contemporary romances that I pick up.
I had the wonderful pleasure of reading this story when I was having a bit of a vulnerable and insecure moment… and it was the perfect antidote to such feelings. There was something that was just so pure and joyful about this story. Even if it does start with a woman getting knocked up and then abandoned. That’s not so pure and joyful… but somehow, every moment in between just… is.
One of the things I loved about this is that both Mandy and Damien carry different scars in their lives. They both have some issues that they so need to work through and they desperately have to figure out their own crap. But the ways in which they do so throughout this is a reminder that sometimes the healing that you need is done by the most unexpected people… and those that love you. I particularly like the scene in which Mandy reveals that she’s pregnant…
I most definitely adored Mandy’s friends in this story too. Which is good, considering two of them then get their own love stories following this… we all need great friends like this, and I won’t lie… it does make me feel a little lost and jealous to read about such amazing friends!
Title: Death in Daylesford Author: Kerry Greenwood Series: Phryne Fisher #21 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Cozy mystery, Crime, Historical fiction, Mystery Dates read: 11th – 13th October 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Allen & Unwin Year: 2020 5th sentence, 74th page: She indicated the cloche.
Surrounded by secrets, great and small, the formidable Miss Phryne Fisher returns to vanquish injustice.
When a mysterious invitation arrives for Miss Phryne Fisher from an unknown Captain Herbert Spencer, Phryne’s curiosity is excited. Spencer runs a retreat in Victoria’s spa country for shell-shocked soldiers of the First World War. It’s a cause after Phryne’s own heart but what could Spencer want from her?
Phryne and the faithful Dot view their spa sojourn as a short holiday but are quickly thrown in the midst of disturbing Highland gatherings, disappearing women, murder and the mystery of the Temperance Hotel.
Meanwhile, Cec, Bert and Tinker find a young woman floating face down in the harbour, dead. Tinker and Phryne’s resilient adopted daughters, Jane ad Ruth, decide to solve what appears to be a heinous crime.
Disappearances, murder, bombs, booty-traps and strange goings-on keep Miss Phryne Fisher right in the middle of her most exciting adventure.
I received this book as an ARC that I needed to review. I have never read any Phryne Fisher books and I honestly had absolutely no idea what to expect. Particularly since this is the twenty-first book in the series…
As a cozy mystery, I was expecting one cute and intriguing mystery to happen – alright, cute probably isn’t the right word, after all, they still tend to be murders or some such. What I didn’t expect, or anticipate was the fact that there would be three consecutive mysteries occurring. It created a number of parallel storylines to follow that I just adored and found absolutely beguiling. This is definitely the kind of mystery that I love to have on my shelves. And I seriously look forward to adding more in when I get the chance!
Not only did I seriously enjoy the setting of this story, but I also thoroughly loved the characters as well. Phryne Fisher is a woman full of character and gumption. She’s not afraid of… well, anything and she is exactly what I look for in a slightly zany and wonderfully independent lead character. But, you add to that her faithful companion Dot, and the zany adoptive family that she leaves at home… yeah, this is a group of individuals that I want to get to know better!
Finally, to top off the amazing storyline and characters, there is the setting. I don’t have the pleasure of reading many stories based in Australia. I even less commonly have the pleasure of reading stories which feature Australia in the 1920s… I just couldn’t look away, and nor did I wish to. A fantastic mystery, brilliant writing, and a totally unique setting that I wish we had more of. What more could you want in a book?
Title: Strong Medicine Author: Tad Williams In: Dead Man’s Hand (John Joseph Adams) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Time travel, Weird western Dates read: 11th October 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Titan Books Year: 2014 5th sentence, 74th page: The footprints were each more than a yard across, and the creature had also left a pile of dung as big as a wheelbarrow, now being swamped by beetles as big as dinner plates.
Every Midsummer, the town moves through time. But, every thirty-nine years, it moves just a little bit farther than expected. Which, needless to say, can be quite dangerous.
I really liked the idea in this story – that a small town moves every year at Midsummer. Not in space, but in time. It made for a very interesting and imaginative story that I really didn’t want to put down. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would like to read more about this tiny, off-kilter town. A nice dream, even if it isn’t likely to happen. I guess I’ll just have to reread this short story at some point in the future…
The twist at the end of this story as to who the town’s “protector” was and his origins story… that just made everything about this so much better and more intriguing. Hitting me right in the happy place. I love that it wasn’t quite what I would have suspected, a pleasant little twist to finish off a pleasant short story.
All of the ideas throughout this story were brilliant. But what I truly loved most was the whole idea of an 1800s Wild West village… fighting dinosaurs. You honestly can’t get much better imagery than that in my book!
Title: Killer Cupcakes Author: Leighann Dobbs Series: Lexy Baker #1 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Cozy mystery, Mystery Dates read: 11th – 13th October 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Leighann Dobbs Year: 2012 5th sentence, 74th page: They walked over to her car slowly, enjoying the warm summer evening, the sound of peepers chirping filled the honeysuckle scented air.
Things are going great for Lexy Baker. She’s finally opened her dream bakery, gotten rid of her cheating boyfriends, and settled into her grandmothers house.
But when her ex boyfriend is found poisoned with cupcakes from her bakery, Lexy finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation headed up by her hunk neighbor detective Jack Perillo.
With the help of a gang of iPad-toting, would-be detective grandmothers, Lexy decides to take it upon herself to find the real murderer in order to clear her name and get her bakery back in business.
As things heat up on the murder trail, in the kitchen and between Lexy and the hunky detective, it’s a race against time to put the real murderer behind bars and get back to baking.
I always enjoy a nice cozy mystery. They’re just a great way to read a crime / mystery novel without freaking the hell out of myself. Which, sometimes is needed. Particularly when it’s a dark night and I want nothing more than to curl up with a good mystery… but would actually like to sleep…
Killer Cupcakes was a pretty typical cute cozy mystery… it was sweet, kind of innocent and a lot of fun. The fact that it has a baker as the lead character called Lexy just made all that much happier… since my dog is called Lexi and I love to bake. It’s the small things in life that create happiness I suppose. I liked that although there were moments of concern throughout this story, I was never truly worried. I knew that things would work out just fine… without torture or any of the other insanity some of my other books have…
Having said all of that, I actually didn’t expect the villain to be… well, the villain. It was a bit of a fun twist. One that completely endears this series to me. And is making me put more of the series on my wishlist…
Ultimately, this is a fun little mystery that features cupcakes, skeevy exes and hot cops. Not really much more I could want in a cozy mystery to be honest…
Earth and Skye 