A feline PI has found the victim of a murder. The only catch? He’s still alive, and the woman who is going to help him can’t talk to her feline assistant…
I both liked this short story and felt a bit “meh” about it. Nothing in particular, but I didn’t dive head first into this short story like I did with Snow Job. Maybe because I didn’t find the voice of narration as relatable. Probably because he was a he… and a cat.
One of the things I really enjoyed was the idea of finding a
murder victim… who was still alive. A vampire, the undead who couldn’t quite
explain who had attacked him and started the process of death upon his life. I
also liked that he had seven women in his life who could all have a motive to
save him… or be the cause of his demise. It was kind of cute and sweet how
different each relationship was and how he managed to care for and act a
different part for the different women.
I bought Dancing with Werewolves ages ago after reading Snow Job, after reading this short story, I feel that it could be necessary to pick this up and actually read it. instead of letting it decorate my shelves…
Title: Honored Guest Author: Ellen Kushner In: The Coyote Road (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Easy reading, Tricksters Dates read: 3rd July 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Firebird Fantasy Year: 2007 5th sentence, 74th page: When I kneel before my instrument, and my fingers bend and dance on the strings, I feel as if I know things no one has ever known before.
Bright Phoenix is trapped by her greedy, malicious grandmother. But a chance visit from a tricky womann might help her escape to a new world, one where her creativity can truly shine.
This didn’t end the way I was hoping for / expecting. Which
is probably not a bad thing. After all, I love a good story that surprises.
Especially one that was as fun and descriptive as this one. We’ve all met that
someone that we completely hate, that just strikes us as not good. The
grandmother in this went that extra step further and seemed just downright
evil, but Bright Phoenix’s responses and thoughts on the old hag were still
completely recognisable.
This wasn’t a trickster story in the sense that many of the
other tales I’ve read lately have been. Jessica, or the honoured guest, might
have a trickster nature about her, but there isn’t the sense of balance and
comeuppance that characterises most of the trickster tales I’ve been reading. Which
wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but I kind of would have liked to see a little
more karma, and a little less manipulation in this story.
Title: The Secret Science of Magic Author: Melissa Keil Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Easy reading Dates read: 27th June 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: Joseph gives me what I think is a sympathetic smile.
Sophia
She’s smart, like genius-calculator-brain smart. But there are some things no amount of genius can prepare you for, and the messiness of real life is one of them. When everything she knows is falling apart, how can she crack the puzzle of what to do with her life?
Joshua
He spends his time honing magic tricks and planning how to win Sophia’s heart. But when your best trick is making schoolwork disappear, how do you possibly romance a genius?
Holy crap. I have been in a bit of a reading slump lately
(relying mostly on short stories, rather than novels to keep me slightly
interested). And then I picked up this book. Which was quite possibly a
mistake, because now I have a brand new author to obsess over. It is the first
book in a long time that I struggled to put down. And read cover to cover. It’s
also the first book in months that I stayed up way past my bedtime to read a
book because I JUST COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN.
Although I often become emotionally invested in the
characters that I meet in the pages of a book, I don’t often literally shed a
tear. Let alone lie in bed with tears streaming down my face. There was just
this one moment in this book that almost felt like a punch to the solar plexus,
and it made me weep. This was surrounded by moments of smiling and laughter, so
overall the mood of this book was incredibly cheerful, even though I had a
moment of tears.
Everyone thinks that they’re a bit of a misfit in high
school, which is why I can see how this story would speak to the masses. I’m
sure even the popular kids kind of feel a bit uncomfortable, especially at the
very ending of high school when they’re about to spread their wings. I assume,
I had friends, but I was more like Sophia than any other high school character
I’ve ever read about. It was also amazing to have a dynamic like Joshua in the
story. In school he is quiet and reserved, but he has a fun filled, happy and
thriving social life out of school that reminds you we can all find the place
where we fit best… it just took me a few years out of high school to realise
that personally.
I may not be quite genius-level smart, but I do understand
all of the pressures that Sophia experiences throughout this book. There seems to
be this idea that because you are smart, you should know what you want to do
with your future. Have everything planned out and a goal in mind. For me, that
has never been the case. I’ve never really had a future plan or goals. I just
have a huge sense of curiosity and a drive to learn more, although sometimes I
want to know more about how to interact a little better with others.
Title: Percy Jackson: The Ultimate Guide Author: Rick Riordan Series: Percy Jackson & the Olympians Companion Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Easy reading, Greek mythology, Urban fantasy Dates read: 5th – 14th June 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Collection Publisher: Disney-Hyperion Year: 2010 5th sentence, 74th page: The symbol of Hades is a helmet which helped him to stay invisible.
It’s the handbook no half-blood should be without: a fully illustrated, in-depth guide to gods, monsters, and all things Percy. This novelty companion to the best-selling series comes complete with trading cards, full-color diagrams, and maps, all packaged in a handy, “manual-size” POB with a crisp, magnetic flap enclosure.
This is a quick, easy read. A great little companion to the rest of the Percy Jackson series, but not one that I’m likely to want to pick up again and again. It was just a cute little overview of Greek mythology. And since I’ve read many other books on the Greek pathos, this was a little too PG for my tastes.
The pictures and fun little cards at the beginning of the book helped to completely immerse yourself in the world that Riordan wanted to take me to. I used to love books that acted as a how-to guides, ones that helped you think the storyline was real. That it was completely plausible and possible that these gods, beasts and creatures walk among us every day.
Although I really enjoyed reading this book, there really
isn’t much to say about it. It’s one of those experiences that makes you smile,
but you won’t remember forever. Which is good, because in years to come, I can
pick this up again and enjoy the experience all over again.
Title: Because of Winn-Dixie Author: Kate DiCamillo Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Easy reading, Family Dates read: 23rd – 27th May 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Candlewick Press Year: 2000 5th sentence, 74th page: “I don’t know,” I told him.
When ten-year-old Opal Buloni moves to Naomi, Florida, with her father, she doesn’t know what to expect – least of all, that she’ll adopt Winn-Dixie, a dog she names after the supermarket where they meet. Before long, Opal and her father realize – with a little help from Winn-Dixie – that while they’ve both tasted a bit of melancholy in their lives, they still have a whole lot to be thankful for.
This was such a fun, easy and sweet novel. It would have
been amazingly easy to just read it cover to cover in one small afternoon, with
a big smile on my face (the only reason this didn’t happen is because I haven’t
sat still for an entire afternoon in a little while). India Opal, Winn-Dixie
and the Preacher are a great little family that so obviously needs help.
Actually, the whole rag tag bunch of characters that make up this story need a
bit of a helping hand. And I love that this comes in the form of a slightly unorthodox
and scraggly dog.
The underlying current of India Opal’s sadness at the loss
of her mother is a little heartbreaking and it winds its way throughout the
storyline so seamlessly. her own yearning to find a sense of belonging is
further backed by the melancholy that seems to haunt every character in this
story. Each and every person Winn-Dixie and India Opal come across are lonely
and feeling some kind of loss. Yet, it surprisingly didn’t make a sad story at
all. I was expecting a little bit of tragedy and an ending that would bring
tears to my eyes. I even had a box of tissues next to me when I was getting
close to the end…. There’s been very few stories I’ve read that feature a dog that
doesn’t end in some kind of tragedy. But this didn’t. that feel good, wholesome
vibe continued right the way through. And it was completely amazing.
This might not be the kind of story that I’m going to pick
up once a year for a nice, fun revisit. But it is the kind of story that I will
pick up again years down the track. When I need a reminder that not every tale
is tragic and that there is always hope in the world. That it doesn’t matter
how down life gets you, there is always something positive just around the
corner…
Miss Weinstein finds herself in a situation she just can’t get out of. Her worst nightmare. Repeating school when she cant make it to a test, is dressed in the worst clothes imaginable and is… well, fat. But things are about to get a whole lot worse…
I thought at the beginning of this story that it was nothing
more than a nightmare. After all, we’ve all had that dream where we can’t make
it to an exam, that everyone has turned on us and we just don’t quite fit in. Alright,
I’ve never dreamed that I’m wearing some weirdly disgusting clothing… but I can
imagine how that would fit into the whole school-nightmare theme that is
obviously going on here.
This short story doesn’t just play on our fears that seem to
come from high school… it also highlights the idea that your decisions affect
you. Every decision effects your potential future. The dumb things that you do
that are questionable… well, they can certainly come back to haunt you. And
throw you into a reality that you didn’t want to face… every day until the end
of eternity.
I wasn’t popular in high school. I also wasn’t unpopular.
But I never really wanted to be the homecoming queen and centre of attention… it
just seemed so boring. So I honestly can’t imagine signing away my soul for the
right to be the popular girl. Even if it was just in joke. This is the only
thing about this story that just doesn’t compute for me. Why would someone want
to be popular? Do anything to be in the centre of the crowd? As the story
unfolded and Miss Weinstein’s attitude became clearer and clearer, it was more
and more difficult to feel any kind of connection to her. More and more
difficult to feel like she was really worth saving at all…
Title: Coraline Author: Neil Gaiman Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Book to Film, Dark fantasy, Easy reading, Horror Dates read: 16th – 22nd May 2019 Pace: Medium Format: Novel Publisher: Harper Perennial Year: 2002 5th sentence, 74th page: “The one who says she’s you other mother,” said the cat.
In Coraline’s family’s new flat there’s a locked door. On the other side is a brick wall – until Coraline unlocks the door… and finds a passage to another flat in another house just like her own.
Only different.
The food is better there. Books have pictures that writhe and crawl and shimmer. And there’s another mother and father there who want Coraline to be their little girl. They want to change her and keep her with them….Forever.
Coraline is an extraordinary fairy tale / nightmare from the uniquely skewed imagination of #1 New York Times bestselling author Neil Gaiman.
I picked up this book because I absolutely adored the movie.
Just seeing the title makes me want to watch the movie again and again and again.
Which meant that I was seriously hoping that the book would be just as good. I
was a little wrong. For starters, the book is so much creepier and horrifying than
the movie. For another thing. It was just better.
I really expected an easy, fun slightly twisted read when I
opened this book. After all, it is described as a children’s twisted fairy
tale. And it’s a tiny novel! I was wrong. So very, very wrong. I finished this about
10 o’clock at night… and then just lay there, imagining a creepy hand crawling
across the bed towards me in my sleep… I’m really not sure that I would have read
this when I was a child. And even if I did… I’m not sure that it would have
been a great idea. There are certain downfalls to having such a vivid
imagination…
As children, we all have moments when we feel that our
family just doesn’t care about us. That we belong somewhere else. And that it
could just be so much better if we just had someone who understood us more. Or
at least, I felt that way frequently throughout my childhood. I like that Coraline plays on this and gives us a
reality in which everything is far
more fantastic, fun and just plain exciting than the real world. But at a cost,
and it’s one that Coraline just doesn’t want to pay. After all, she realises
that real life just isn’t too bad after all…
Title: Hotel Valhalla: Guide to the Norse Worlds Author: Rick Riordan Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard Companion Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Easy reading, Norse mythology, Urban fantasy Dates read: 17th – 18th May 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Collection Publisher: Puffin Year: 2016 5th sentence, 74th page: Having his hand eaten by Fenris Wolf while the other gods bound the beast with the rope Gleipnir
Dear Magnus Chase, Welcome to Hotel Valhalla! We hope you enjoy your eternal stay with us in the afterlife.
This is a guide to the gods, mythical beings and fantastic creatures of the nine Norse worlds – now your fellow guests.
There are stats, interviews, stories and anecdotes to help you avoid those awkward first introductions and make sure you never confuse a dwarf and an elf ever again.
Your story is just beginning, Magnus Chase. We hope you find this guide an entertaining companion on your adventures.
Hotel Valhalla is a great way to fill in the gaps that the storylines of the Magnus Chase novels just can’t fill. After all, they’re stories which follow a specific storyline. This hotel guide on the other hand isn’t a story, but a way to constantly give a background that you really don’t know you need until you read this collection.
Written with the typical Riordanhumour, Hotel Valhalla really brings some of the more distant characters of Norse mythology to life in a very satirical and dry way. It helps to pull you further and further into the storyline of the Magnus Chaseworld and, because of this, the moment I finished the last page I was sorely tempted to get out of my couch next and grab Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead. I didn’t because I had two dogs happily asleep on my lap, but believe me, it was a fight of temptation.
My main complaint about this book is that it wasn’t longer. I would have loved a lot more insight into the characters which make up this aspect of Riordan’sworld. But it still worked beautifully…
My name is Magnus Chase. Two months ago I died fighting a fire giant and woke up in Hotel Valhalla as one of Odin’s warriors. Time of a rest? I wish.
When I meet Otis, an informant with a lead on Thor’s missing hammer, all I get is the name ‘Provincetown’ before a wolf-masked assassin takes him out and warns me to stay away.
Someone really doesn’t want me to find the hammer, and even if I could it’s rumoured to be underground, guarded by powerful magic.
But the giant armies are on the move, preparing to invade. If I don’t find it, they’ll ravage the Nine Worlds, starting with the streets of Boston.
There’s just one person who could help. Someone who demands a very high price: the gods’ worst enemy, Loki.
It took me forever to pick this up after finishing Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer. And now that I’ve finished this… I’m really not sure why. Or why it took me so long to get through the first half of this book. This tale has everything that I loved in the Percy Jackson books, but with Vikings. Which, as much as I love Greek mythology, there is something about Vikings and the Norse mythos that is… better.
For the first part of this book, I kept on thinking of Thor like he is in the Marvel movies… gorgeous, powerful and just plain “good”. The Thor in this story is nothing like that. Actually, he’s kind of a bumbling moron. And he farts a lot. And you know, he’s the reason that the whole mess in this story even happens. Because he’s a moron. Which adds a great level of humour throughout the whole novel. One that makes me grateful for Riordan’s writings. And makes me think that I need to keep adding some of his books (the few I don’t have) to my bookshelves.
There are hints from the very beginning of this tale that it isn’t all about Thor’s hammer. But, since I was so caught up in the action and what was happening to Magnus and his friends, I didn’t really pick up on them. It was only in hindsight that I managed to understand all the little clues that Riordan was sliding out for my slow little brain to grasp. Which is kind of great in a book that is aimed at a younger cohort. It makes me excited to reread this book at some point in the future. Read and reread and reread over the years to come, being able to find other “duh” moments throughout this story.
I was so impressed with Riordan’s use of a Muslim lead character in Magnus Chase and the Sword of Summer. I was even more head over heels in love, completely impressed, making this man my idol when I realised that he has a trans-person as a secondary lead in this story. Talk about helping to raise a generation on acceptance and love. Alex is feisty and fun, if not a little angry and damaged at times. Also a little too obsessed with taking off people’s heads with a wire… but I digress. Having two people from minorities that are being ostracised today means that I can’t wait until they feature even more strongly in the next Magnus Chase story! Now where did I put that book…??
Title: The Last Battle Author: C.S. Lewis Series: Chronicles of Narnia #7 Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Classics, Easy reading, Fantasy Dates read: 28th March – 19th April 2019 Pace: Slow Format: Novel Publisher: Grafton Year: 1956 5th sentence, 74th page: I’m on your side, Sire: and on Aslan’s.
“To my side, all true Narnians! Would you wait till your new masters have killed you all, one by one?”
It is Narnia’s darkest hour. A false Aslan is commanding all Narnians to work for the cruel Calormenes and striking terror into every heart. King Tirian’s only hope is to call Eustace and Jill back to Narnia, in an attempt to find the true Aslan and restore peace to the land. But a might battle lies ahead.
The Last Battle is the dramatic conclusion to the seven magical Chronicles of Narnia.
As an ending to a series this book works incredibly well. It helps to tie everything up in a beautiful knot and pretty little bow. As a standalone story, it’s not as compellingly engaging as the other books in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Which is probably why it took me a little longer to read than most of the other stories in this series…
The Last Battle is
exactly what it sounds – the last battle to be fought in Narnia. The end of
days, if you will. It made it kind of sad to finish, it meant the closing of a
world and an era. There are no ways in which to return to Narnia now. Which is
more than a little heartbreaking. After all, as a kid I always checked every
wardrobe I came across to get to that special world I had dreamt so much about.
Lucy is still my favourite character in all of the Chronicles of Narniatales. There is something about her sweetness, her faith and her ability to love everyone that makes you kind of want to give her a great, big cuddle. Don’t get me wrong, I would never want to be her friend, she’s a little too nice… but as a character in a novel, she is just brilliant. So it was incredibly nice to find her returning to the series, albeit for a short while. Jill and Eustace just aren’t as relatable and loveable… maybe because I only met them as an adult, but I met Lucy when I was a young girl.
Earth and Skye 