Tag Archives: Easy Reading

The Ship of the Dead by Rick Riordan

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the ship of the dead

Title: Magnus Chase and the Ship of the Dead
Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Norse mythology, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 3rd – 11th February 2020
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: My ears still rang from the weird music.

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Synopsis

My name is Magnus Chase. These days, I’m one of Odin’s immortal warriors, but that doesn’t stop people trying to kill me all the time.

Loki the trickster god is free from his chains. He’s put together a crew of giants and zombies to sail Naglfar, the Ship of the Dead, in a battle against the Norse gods. If he succeeds, the final battle of Ragnarok will extinguish all the worlds.

With help from Percy Jackson and my cousin Annabeth, and with friends by my side, I have to sail across the oceans to reach Naglfar before Midsummer’s Day. The only problems are the angry sea gods, hostile giants and evil fire-breathing dragon in the way.

But even if we survive the journey I’ll need more than just Jack, my talking sword, to beat Loki. I must find a magical elixir so deadly that it will either make me powerful enough to defeat Loki and put him back in chains for good… or destroy me entirely.

Thoughts

This is a great ending to a really good, fun series. I love that Riordan deals with outsiders in all of his series. But, in particular, I love that this series ends with a gender fluid person finding their happily ever after. Plus, it does explain a lot about the different “outsiders”, not just through Alex and their gender identity, but also with a great Muslim character who is devout, sweet and quite capable of kicking everyone’s butt.

Sam’s participation in Ramadan is a great storyline. There is so much fear and superstition against Muslims, so featuring a pretty major practice for this religion in a very well-loved character was brilliant. I actually wished more children’s books would feature people of different faiths, religions and identities. It’s definitely something I could have done more with as a child. And it’s a great way to help the next generation become far more accepting of differences.

Although this is the final, epic battle of the series. It really wasn’t the epic battle that I was expecting. I was expecting something with a lot of gunfire, violence and just plain, old insanity. It wasn’t like that. It was a much more entertaining, funny and unique way to stop the end of the world. All in the company of a giant boat coloured like a banana… something that had me laughing out loud repeatedly throughout this story.

The Ship of the Dead might be the conclusion to the Magnus Chase series, it’s not the end of this greater adventure that Riordan has been taking us all on. Actually, the end chapter of this dovetails perfectly into The Trials of Apollo and, luckily… that is sitting on my shelf. Just waiting to be picked up.

<- The Hammer of ThorHotel Valhalla ->

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The Walled Garden by Michele Lang

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of time travel romance book cover

Title: The Walled Garden
Author: Michele Lang
In: The Mammoth Book of Time Travel Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fae
Dates read: 20th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: You already know me from class and by my sign.

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Synopsis

An attack has left her lost, confused and scared. But, a chance encounter with a polite young man might help to lead her on the way to recovery. Or a whole new world.

Thoughts

This short story was in a collection of time travel romances… yet, I spent the entire time trying to figure out where the time travelling actually was. There were bits and pieces of time travelling. But I wouldn’t put it on a shelf with that theme. This felt more about venturing into the underground worlds of the fae and the Otherworld.

I love that this story is all about recovering and finding your own way forwards after tragedy. Bouncing back is important, and we all do it in our ways. I wouldn’t necessarily want to go about it by venturing through a strange underground garden… but it was still a great way to find out how to recover and find your new reality.

There is a super surreal feeling to this entire story. Even trying to articulate what happened and why I enjoyed this is difficult. It’s like when you dream that you’re walking through a mist, and everything you experience is completely real. But it’s also entirely emotional. That’s the way that this story feels as you journey through the pages to the end.

 <- Time Trails ReviewCatch the Lightning Review ->
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Black as Ink by Tanith Lee

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for red as blood tanith lee book cover

Title: Black as Ink
Author: Tanith Lee
In: Red as Blood (Tanith Lee)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves:  Easy reading, Fairy tales
Dates read: 14th December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Wildside
Year: 1983
5th sentence, 74th page: You hear me?

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Synopsis

When Victor sees the woman of his dreams across the lake, he becomes infatuated. That is, until he meets the uncle. Years later, he runs across the same girl. And discovers that she has become black as ink.

Thoughts

Unlike the rest of the short stories in the Red as Blood collection, this is not a retelling of any fairy tale that I recognise. Yet, there was still that lilting, fairy tale feel to the tale that made me feel like almost, almost this could be a story which I’ve read before. If I could just remember it… that’s how it felt anyway.

As with many of the stories in this collection, the ending to this was a little tragic. Actually, something about the poetic sweetness of the ending made it all that much more unfortunate. Especially since at the beginning you kind of believe that this could be a love story… hint. It’s not. It’s something… darker about our hidden instincts and desires. The ones that are black as ink.

Like the rest of the short stories in this collection, Black as Ink is kind of dark. A little bit twisted. And a really, really enjoyable read. One that I will probably pick up again in the future when I don’t want / need all those happily ever afters that tend to fill my shelves.

 <- Wolfland ReviewBeauty Review ->
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Holes by Louis Sachar

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover holes louis sachar

Title: Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Series: Holes #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Contemporary, Easy reading
Dates read: 26th November – 1st December 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Year: 1998
5th sentence, 74th page: But the last thing he wanted to do after digging all day was to dig at night, too.

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Synopsis

Stanley Yelants has bad luck (which is all because of his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather).

When Stanley’s bad luck unfairly lands him in the juvenile detention centre Camp Green Lake (a very weird place that isn’t green and doesn’t have a lake), he and his campmates Zero, X-Ray, Armpit, Squid, Magnet and Zigzag are forced to dig holes in order to build character…

But what are they really digging for?

Thoughts

This is one of those books where I’m actually not sure if the book or the movie is better… I can remember watching the movie as a teenager in high school. It’s one of those that seems to be a staple of the Australian high school experience. But I’d never had the chance to actually read the book. I’m not entirely sure how it’s a classic – it seems a little too easy to read. But I do understand why so many people enjoy reading it.

This was such an incredibly easy read. Like, ridiculously. I ripped through it in next to no time (when I actually got a chance to sit down). Although it did flick through past and present a little, it wasn’t done in any kind of confusing way. The language was incredibly easy and accessible. And the entire story was just generally easy to follow and fun to read. I’ll be interested to see what the other books in the series are going to be like…

Holes is kind of an intense story. It is, after all, about a boy who is incarcerated. There’s not going to be sweet, innocent characters in a story like that. It is also about righting the wrongs of the past, finding yourself and, I think most importantly finding a way to like yourself. Or at least, that was the journey that I really got for Stanley. He might have lost a little weight because of his time at Camp Green, but it mostly ends with his actually accepting who he is and finding a friend who feels the same.

I absolutely adore how all of the threads of this story are interwoven. The past, the present, and the future are all weirdly interconnected. It’s hard to write like this in a way that doesn’t feel clunky and contrived. And Sachar manages to do this perfectly. All of the connected lines are completely natural and you only truly realise how they are linked at the very end of the story.

 <- Small Steps ReviewStanley Yelnats’ Survival Guide to Camp Green Lake Review ->

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Burned Promises by Willow Winters

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover burned promises willow winters

Title: Burned Promises
Author: Willow Winters
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Easy reading
Dates read: 18th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Willow Winters Publishing
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: Like it’s what I was meant to do.

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Synopsis

From USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes an emotionally gripping, standalone, second chance romance.

He made a promise.
And then he broke it.
That’s what happens with your first love.

I didn’t expect for Derek to fall back into my life and for me to fall back into his bed. Time changes a lot of things, but it doesn’t change everything.

It doesn’t change the way he makes my heart kip or the way my lungs stop when he stares deep into my eyes.

It didn’t change his bad boy ways either and I should be smart enough to tell him no this time around.

I should be, I know what it’s like to be burned by him. But it’s so hard to walk away when his touch begs me to stay and the pain in his eyes cuts me deeper than anything else in this world.

Thoughts

I thoroughly enjoyed this story – but I was a bit thrown out by the little prologue. It really didn’t fit into the story – and the broken promise from the blurb… not entirely sure where that whole idea came from either. If you ignore those two teases, this is actually a really fun, cute and easy read. It’s romantic, fun and has definitely made me want to buy a few more books by Willow Winters since it was just such a pleasant experience.

I seriously recognise the feeling of falling for someone you’re not entirely sure is good for you. Or that you’re convinced is going to somehow break your heart. I’m sure most people have had that moment. Luckily, like Emma it turned out that the man I fell for was actually falling for me to – it just took him a little longer to show me. And although I started out thinking that Emma’s love really wasn’t going to work well for her and end in some kind of weird compromise, it turned out just as brilliantly as my own off-kilter love story.

I’ve read a lot of romances over the past two years (I never really got into them until recently), but I’ve never actually read one which features a drug lord. Hired killers, shapeshifters and some kind of messed up men, sure… but never a drug lord. With a cancer mother. It was certainly a new one for me. And I think that it worked beautifully. Certainly enjoyed it.

This book was just beautiful. Not only was it about second chances and finding love, but it was also about love and family. A novel that will definitely hold a happy little place in my heart.

 <- Broken ReviewCuffed Kiss Review ->

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The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover the island of dr moreau

Title: the Island of Dr. Moreau
Author: H.G. Wells
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Science fiction
Dates read: 2nd – 17th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Cantebury Classics
Year: 1895
5th sentence, 74th page: I dropped the whip and snatched at the pistol in my pocket; for I meant to kill this brute, the most formidable of any left now upon the island, at the first excuse.

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Synopsis

Edward Prendick is shipwrecked in the Pacific. Rescued by Doctor Moreau’s assistant he is taken to the doctor’s island home where he discovers the doctor has been experimenting on the animal inhabitants of the island, creating bizarre proto-humans…

Thoughts

I really struggled to get all of the way through this novel. It wasn’t bad, I just really wasn’t in the mood for the convoluted nature that I’m beginning to associate with H.G. Wells’ writing. There’s always about a thousand things going on and some brilliant symbolism… which means that if I’m not quite as clued in as I’d like… it becomes more than a little difficult to truly get into the book. So, since I wanted to move another book out of my currently reading pile (it’s just getting beyond a joke at the moment), I decided to skim read through.

That’s not to say that I didn’t enjoy this story. And I’ll definitely be reading it again. There was something that just sat below the surface of the words which was both haunting and brilliant. An excellent commentary on our world. and, more important to my own life, the status of science. Just because we can, it doesn’t mean that we should… but I’m never sure where the line is. I know that Dr. Moreau definitely crossed it… but that’s about the extent of my opinion on this to be honest.

There are a lot of stories which explore the question – who is more human? The man or the beast? This did so in a far more obvious and graphic manner than almost any of the stories that I’ve had the pleasure of reading so far. It was intense, gave me some incredibly visual consequences and a very intriguing adventure. One in which I’m pretty sure that I missed half of the integral points… after all, I was just skim reading and not 100% into it.

The Island of Dr. Moreau is one of those stories that I’m not going to forget anytime soon. There is something hauntingly familiar about it while it manages to be completely unique and impossible to forget. Although, I did keep thinking about one of the Spy Kids movies while I was reading it… the one with the nutty scientist alone on an island filled with his own creations…

 <- The Time Machine ReviewThe Invisible Man Review ->

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Magic of Thieves by C. Greenwood

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover magic of thieves

Title: Magic of Thieves
Author: C. Greenwood
Series: Legends of Dimmingwood #1
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Fantasy, Young adult
Dates read: 16th – 17th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: C. Greenwodd
Year: 2012
5th sentence, 74th page: Drop the pretense.

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Synopsis

In a province where magic is forbidden and its possessors are murdered by the magickless, young Ilan, born with the powerful gift of her ancestors, has only one hope for survival – concealment. In the shadow of Dimmingwood, she finds temporary protection with a band of forest brigands led by the infamous outlaw Rideon the Red Hand.

But as Ilan matures, learns the skills of survival, and struggles to master the magic of her dying race, danger is always close behind. When old enemies reappear and new friendships lead to betrayal, will the discovery of an enchanted bow be Ilan’s final salvation or her ultimate downfall?

Thoughts

This was a quick, easy read. I didn’t mind it, but I did kind of find Ilan to be a bit of a bitch. She just used and abused so many of the people who love her. And for no good reason. Considering the fact that she loses her parents young, she actually has a fairly good upbringing. And absolutely no reason to strike out at the people she ends up striking out at… there are some people you should be bitter towards. The three people in the world who have always had your best interests at heart… probably not overly necessary to be a cow to them…

Luckily, even though I didn’t love Ilan as a character, I did love the characterisation and the storyline. Normally if I find a character just that irritating I won’t finish the book. And if I do, I don’t want to buy the rest in the series. That wasn’t the case for Magic of Thieves. I’ve already added the next two boos in the series to my wishlist and I’m eagerly awaiting the moment when I have enough money to actually buy them. Just because there is a bit of an anti-hero at the helm, it doesn’t mean I have to DNF a book. Although, it helps that she starts towards a major attitude shift at the end of the book…

I do love that Ilan is a girl who is raised by thieves and brigands. She isn’t raised to be a killer or super tough, in fact, she’s overwhelmingly naïve and weak. Yet, she’s surrounded by this completely new and unique world in which strength and the ability to kill are kind of integral. A great departure from most of the stories in which the young woman is raised in such a scenario. In fact, she acts more like a mascot than anything else to the troop she’s fallen in with.

Having said all of that, this wasn’t a stand out book. I will eventually get round to finish / reading the whole series. But, since they’re such short, easy reads… it’ll probably be when I haven’t read for a while, or finished anything and need a quick reading fix. A bit like the short story collections that I’ve ripped through this year…

 <- Rule of Thieves ReviewBetrayal of Thieves Review ->

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Pele’s Tears by Catherine Mulvany

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of paranormal romance book cover

Title: Pele’s Tears
Author: Catherine Mulvany
In: The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Paranormal romance
Dates read: 16th November 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She upended the box, staring in despair at battered copies of National Geographic and Scientific American.

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Synopsis

She’s the girl that he fell in love with. And he’s the PI she’s hired to find out what happened to her Grandmother. Will Pele’s Tears give them their happily ever after?

Thoughts

I love that this paranormal romance is partly set in Hawaii. It’s not a common setting for most of the stories that I read…and not only did I love the change, but I also haven’t had the pleasure of being there myself, so it bought to life one of the destinations on my bucket list.

Everyone has that “what if” person in their lives. That person they spend their whole time wondering what would have happened “if”. For some of us, this “what if” isn’t really bittersweet or one that we linger on. Or at least, for me, it certainly isn’t. Yet, this short story is such a tale. Not only is it a “what if” for the current generation in the story, but it’s also one for her grandmother.

Stories of the old gods and goddesses always draw me in completely. The fact that this goddess is all about giving someone a final few days with the love of her life and fixing up things so that the future is better… well, I can understand the sacrifice of Pele’s Tears…

 <- Night Vision ReviewPack Review ->
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The Inventions, Researches, and Writings of Nikola Tesla by Nikola Tesla

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover inventions, researches and writing of nikola tesla

Title: The Inventions, Researches, and Writings of Nikola Tesla
Author: Nikola Tesla
Series: Barnes & Noble Leatherbound
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, History, Non-fiction, Science
Dates read: 16th October – 15th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Barnes & Noble Leatherbound
Year: 1995
5th sentence, 74th page: Fig. 61 is a vertical cross-section of the motor.

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Synopsis

The Inventions, Researches and Writings of Nikola Tesla is the definitive record of the pioneering work of one of the modern world’s most groundbreaking inventors. During the early twentieth century, Nikola Tesla blazed the trail that electrical technology would follow for decades afterward. Although he pioneered inventions like alternating current (AC), radio, wireless transmission, and X-rays, and worked with innovators like George Westinghouse and Thomas Edison, the once celebrated Tesla was later largely forgotten by history. With illustrations and diagrams of many of Tesla’s early patents and inventions, as well as dozens of thought-provoking lectures and articles, this volume offers a rare glimpse of a true genius at work.

The Inventions, Researches and Writings of Nikola Tesla is one of Barnes & Noble’s Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world’s greatest authors in an exquisitely designed bonded-leather binding, with distinctive gilt edging and an attractive silk-ribbon bookmark. Decorative, durable, and collectible, these books offer hours of pleasure to readers young and old and are an indispensible cornerstone for every home library.

Thoughts

This was an interesting, fun and open read. I mostly bought it because I needed it to complete a reading challenge, and well, the cover was really, really pretty. What I didn’t expect was that I would enjoy this adventure so much… after all, it’s been quite a while since I picked up anything physics-related.

Physics is an incredibly intense and fun subject – one that I’m kind of realising I miss a bit. This book explains that fact really well – not only is the use of electricity really intricate and intense, but this collection actually manages to explain it in a really fascinating way. And accessible… you don’t need a physics degree to understand what discoveries and creations Tesla came up with. The diagrams also go a long way to helping you understand exactly what engines, power sources and discoveries he made.

I did really enjoy the biographical aspects of Tesla’s life throughout this as well. Although it was very science-heavy, there was just enough of the personal to keep even the least scientifically-minded person engaged. So, not only did I learn a lot about what the actual discoveries, researches and inventions of Tesla were, I also learnt quite a bit about his personal journey and life in his obsession with electricity.

 <- Dracula and Other Horror Stories ReviewBeauty and the Beast and Other Classic Fairy Tales Review ->

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Coyote Speaks by Ari Berk & Carolyn Dunn

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for book cover coyote speaks

Title: Coyote Speaks: Wonder of the Native American World
Author: Ari Berk & Carolyn Dunn
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Native American mythology, Non-fiction
Dates read: 16th October – 14th November 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Abrams
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: The beauty and commercial value of these objects can make people greedy, even people who should know better.

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Synopsis

Imagine
a time when there was only a thin line between the realms of humans and animals, and they could speak to each other and share their knowledge, or transform from one into the other through magic.

Imagine
a world where Coyote makes the heavens by holding all the stars in a blanket and then throwing them into the sky, where they become the constellations that we still see today.

Imagine
a land where people emerged into this world by growing like corn from beneath the ground.

Imagine
ancient objects, amazing journeys, mysterious symbols, and magical stories.

Now imagine all these things exist, for in Native America, they do.

Thoughts

I really don’t know much about Native American mythology. I’ve never had the exposure, and other than one character in the Mercedes Thompson series, I’ve not read any books that feature people of this heritage. So of course, I was extremely excited and fascinated to pick up this book and learn something new. Which, this was a perfect introduction to. I now know that I want to read further along about this mythos, but as a broad overview… this was fantastic.

This broad introduction was beautifully graphic. I spent more of my time staring at the pictures than actually reading the words. It was just beautiful and unforgettable. I’ll pick this up again and again, just because I loved the layout and print of the work.

I’m well aware of how many of the world’s Indigenous cultures and beliefs are frequently disrespected. So I was very happy to find that this was not only informative and a great introduction, it was also incredibly respectful to the mother culture. Now I just need to start slogging through that great bibliography at the end!

<- More Native American mythology reviewsMore non-fiction reviews ->

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