Tag Archives: Easy Reading

Smithfield by James P. Blaylock

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: Smithfield
Author: James P. Blaylock
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Gaslamp
Dates read: 5th September 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The moon had climbed higher into the sky now and shone on the cobbles in the street.

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Synopsis

It’s the turn of the century and things are beginning to change. Will they be able to catch this through the lens of a camera?

Thoughts

This was a really fun, easy read. But it wasn’t one that I really got into. I very quickly skimmed through it, and although it was enjoyable, it wasn’t memorable. The writing was really good though which is probably why I did enjoy it as much as I did… it was well written, fun, but just not enough to keep my easily distractible self paying attention…

I really liked the turn of the century feel to this story. The use of cameras and gas lighting throughout was very atmospheric and helped to pull along the fantastical elements of the story. It left you with a feeling of mystery and wonder when you finally turned that last page – not quite sure what happened, but certain that you enjoyed it.

Smithfield is one of those short stories that I’ll probably read again in the future. Just because that lingering feeling of wonder and mystery is still hanging around over 24 hours after I turned that final page. It is the type of story that will keep on feeding on itself and I’m sure that I’ll find something new to love each and every time I read it…

 <- The Governess ReviewThe Unwanted Women of Surrey Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Thinner Than Water by Justine Larbalestier

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for love is hell book cover

Title: Thinner Than Water
Author: Justine Larbalestier
In: Love is Hell ( Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Romance, Young adult
Dates read: 4th September
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: I shivered.

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Synopsis

Jean has finally handfasted with the boy that she’s been dreaming of. But her family doesn’t think that he’s right for her. Will they ruin everything, or will blood prove thicker than water?

Thoughts

Yeah. This story didn’t have a happy ending. At all. Although, it was kind of bittersweet which made me enjoy it. Although I definitely wanted to punch Jean’s family in the face. They were just plain evil. And horrible. And it was all just heartbreakingly wrong!

I’ve honestly always hated the saying that blood is thicker than water. I think that it tends to be used a little too much to justify the atrocities that we commit upon our kin. So the play on this in “thinner than water” was really beautiful. Especially considering what a horrible family Jean comes from… and the small minded prejudice of the town that she is from.

Although this is a fantasy story, it feels a little more real world. It also highlights the fact that our unacceptance of others can have some incredibly horrible consequences. Not often involving a horrific death, but there’s often a death of some kind involved. And it’s the ones who have tried to survive and exist that truly suffer. The ones, like Jean who are left behind that have to feel the consequences of prejudice.

The messages in this novella have lingered long after I turned that final page. I think the horribleness and bitter sweet ending to this tale is why it’s hung around so long. The themes, the love and the loyalty were heartbreaking and beautiful. It’s not the kind of novella you’re likely to forget.

 <- Stupid Perfect World ReviewFan Fictions Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the wind in the willows book cover

Title: The Wind in the Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Classics, Easy reading
Dates read: 2nd – 6th August 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Oxford
Year: 1908
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘When they went,’ continued the Badger, ‘the strong winds and persistent rains took the matter in hand, patiently, ceaselessly, year after year.

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Synopsis

Join in the delights and disasters on the riverbank with Mole and his new friends, Ratty, Badger, and fun-loving Toad. There’s never a dull moment!

Thoughts

I found this a hard book to get through. Not because it was bad writing, not because it was bad in any way, shape or form. But I just felt like not much was happening. And, since I recently read Mark Twain, which is kind of similar in its rambling manner, I needed something with a bit more direction to it. So, although I didn’t mind this story, it’s definitely one I will be picking up again in the future when I’m more in the mood for this style of storyline.

Part of me was quite surprised that I didn’t love this book more, I remember Toad and Badger incredibly well from the movie I used to love as a child. And, I think, in hindsight, I probably would have loved this book as a child too. I’ve just picked up some incredibly amazing, more grown up books recently, so wanted to read more of those as opposed to a children’s book that was a little disjointed and mostly about a lot of fun between four great funs. Or at least, that’s how I still experience this.

What I loved about the movies as a child, and what I loved about this book as an adult is mostly the fact that this is a story about friendship and loyalty. The four friends, even though they are incredibly different they still stick together. My friendship group is kind of like this myself, we are so intensely different, yet, we’re always there for each other, no matter what the circumstances…

<- The Prophet and Other TalesClassic Westerns: Zane Grey ->

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Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for journey to the centre of the earth book cover

Title: Journey to the Centre of the Earth
Author: Jules Verne
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Book to Film, Classics, Easy reading, Science fiction
Dates read: 30th – 31st July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Kingsford Editions
Year: 1864
5th sentence, 74th page: I got up from my granite bed and went out to enjoy the magnificent spectacle that lay unfolding before my eyes.

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Synopsis

Professor Otto Lidenbrock’s great adventure begins by chance when a scrap of paper drops out of an ancient book he has just bought. The coded inscription reveals the existence of a passageway leading to the centre of the earth and that the entrance lies within the crater of an extinct volcano in Iceland.

The professor travels to Iceland accompanied by his nephew, Axel, a keen young geologist. Together with a Swiss guide, they descend into the bowels of the earth where an amazing prehistoric world awaits them.

Writting in 1864, Journey to the Centre of the Earth established Verne as a pioneer of science fiction. This edition has been revised and improved for a modern readership.

Thoughts

This is my second Jules Verne story and, if anything, I think it was better than the first. I kind of loved it. It was incredibly fun, engaging and the voice of the narrator was incredibly relatable, even today. The mad scientist for an uncle, the lovestruck nephew (and narrator). Everything about this story and voice drew me in from the very beginning. Which is why I read it so quickly – the voice that told such an incredible story was impossible to get out of my head, even now.

I must admit, I generally skim read classics a little more than the more contemporary and modern tales. Simply because the amount of information that reading every single word provides tends to overwhelm me and I find skim reading stops me from getting bogged down in the details, without losing out on the storyline. The last quarter of this novel, I did skim read a little. But, mostly, I actually read every word like I would with most other novels I pick up. There is just something about the storyline and writing that was far more approachable (maybe because it was translated), and I actually didn’t want to miss a single moment of the storyline.

My biggest problem with this storyline was the fact that I kept on picturing Brendan Fraser in my head when I was reading the story. I’ll give you a hint, the book and the film, not really like one another at all. Normally that would bother me a little and I would find that I prefer one over the other. But I think that the adaptation and the original are both brilliant, equally so. After all, the movie is a modern adaptation and the book was written in 1864. There are many different aspects which make both versions amazing and impossible to put down.

I can’t wait to reread this story in another year or so. I know that there will be so many more themes and aspects in the storyline that I’ll pick up on and that will make me fall in love again and again. After all, that’s one of the things that I love most about classics – they have so many layers and hidden meanings that take me much longer to find and enjoy.

<- More classics reviewsMore science fiction reviews ->
Image source: Penguin Books Australia

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Book Review, , , , , ,
Overview
Image result for always and forever, lara jean book cover

Title: Always and Forever, Lara Jean
Author: Jenny Han
Series: To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before #3
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Chic lit, Contemporary, Easy reading, Romance, Young adult
Dates read: 28th June – 24th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Scholastic
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: We three probably won’t ever live in the same house together again.

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Synopsis

Life is good for Lara Jean.

She is head over heels in love, her dad’s finally getting remarried and her sister Margot is coming home for the summer.

But change is looming. And Lara Jean can’t ignore the big life decisions she has to make – where she goes to college for one. Because that would mean leaving her family – and possibly the boy she loves – behind.

When your heart and your head are saying two different things, which one should you listen to?

Thoughts

I wasn’t sure what to expect from the last book in this trilogy. P.S. I Still Love You annoyed me in a number of places, so I thought that I probably needed to take a break from Jenny Han’s writing. But, recently I felt that stirring on interest again and I picked up this book. I’m really glad that I did. There was a nice sense of completion in this story that you didn’t get from P.S. I Still Love You. And it was a nice way to send Lara Jean off to adulthood and college…

As someone who had a high school sweetheart at the end of school, I understand how confusing it can be to decide whether or not to stay together when you’re both going your separate ways. I did a bit of a Margot in that I decided that I wasn’t going to University with a boyfriend. But, I also wasn’t in love with him like Lara Jean is with Peter. She’s very realistic about their immaturity and the likelihood of surviving a long-distance relationship. But she’s also unwilling to give up someone she loves so dearly and truly. It was something that was relatable I think to anyone who experienced the first gleanings of love when they’re a teenager.

I’m not used to softer heroines in the stories that I read. Mostly they’re women who are incredibly tough, unwilling to let others in and really not willing to give up anything for the men that they love. So it was a very different change of pace to read about a young woman who was actually willing to alter her plans in life to suit a man. Although, as a wonderful redemption, she doesn’t actually do this in the end, but finds a nice compromise for both of them. It’s a nice way to finish up a series that is all about finding yourself and first love – it doesn’t have to end, and it doesn’t have to be all about the boy, you can find a compromise in everything.

If you’re looking for a feel good, easy read, then this is definitely the book and the series to pick up. There are moments when you really want to see what silly decisions the characters make next, but nothing immensely drastic and uncomfortable. Just enough spice to keep you turning the pages, but not enough that you can’t sleep at night if you have left the book unfinished. It certainly left me with plenty of comfortable, happy feelings when I turned the final page. And now I’m looking forward to picking up another of Jenny Han’s books to give my something the same comfortable feelings of contentment.

 <- P.S. I Still Love You ReviewTo All the Boys I’ve Loved Before Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for life in outer space book cover

Title: Life in Outer Space
Author: Melissa Keil
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Easy reading, Young adult
Dates read: 14th – 15th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Hardie Grant Egmont
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: I unpack my bag and stack my books in order of size.

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Synopsis

Sam Kinnison is a greek, and he’s totally fine with that. He has his horror movies, his nerdy friends, World of Warcraft – and until Princess Leia truns up in his bedroom, he doesn’t have to worry about girls.

Then Sam meets Camilla. She’s beautiful, friendly and completely irrelevant to his life. Sam is determined to ignore her, except that Camilla has a life of her own – and she’s decided that he’s going to be part of it.

Sam believes that everything he needs to know he can learn from the movies… but now it looks like he’s been watching the wrong ones.

Thoughts

I have been hanging out for this book to arrive in the post. And then it did. When I had about 1,000 things to do… so it took me an extra week to open it and sink my teeth into it. But then I did. And I was deliriously grateful for the awesomeness that I am beginning to associate with Melissa Keil. It kind of helped that I was down sick when I finally got to read this, so the feel good, sweet storyline made me feel a heck of a lot better. And actually made me smile… which I hadn’t really been doing on account of you know… sick.

Most of the books I read feature a strong, independent woman. Which this one does. But they also tend to be written either from their point of view, or something very close to it. There are very few books that I have read in recent years which are written from the point of view of the boy. And now I’m kind of wondering why this is missing so much from my shelves and reading. I absolutely loved the change of pace and the different POV. Not only was it a nice change, but it worked brilliantly well, and I can’t imagine it being so engaging having been written from Camilla’s viewpoint.

Although I tend to watch a lot of TV, I’m not what I would consider a movie buff by any shape of the imagination. Yet, the movie quotes and references that were peppered throughout this story still worked really well. They were obscure enough that it wasn’t repetitive and frustrating, but also obvious enough that I picked up on many of the aspects and things that they were talking about. The fact that Sam is so obsessed with horror also made me pick up a horror book not long after finishing this, simply because I felt intrigued by the genre.

Boy meets girl and falls madly in love stories, especially in YA can feel incredibly contrived. As an adult, I know that there are very few people who met someone when they were fifteen and stayed with them forever. And the few who did had to work at it. It’s not that roses and rainbows feeling that a lot of books and TV shows like to emphasise. This story isn’t like that, it’s realistic. Yes, it’s still got a love at first sight feel. And the entire book you want to smack them both over the head because your pretty sure they’re meant to be together forever. BUT. Most of the story and relationship is about creating a friendship. About supporting one another through tough times and truly getting to know one another. To me, that is what makes this such a great romance. It’s a love built on friendship and trust, one that is so cute and supportive. ❤

 <- The Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl ReviewThe Secret Science of Magic Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Stupid Perfect World by Scott Westerfeld

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for love is hell book cover

Title: Stupid Perfect World
Author: Scott Westerfeld
In: Love is Hell ( Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Romance, Science fiction
Dates read: 12th – 13th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: There hadn’t been any Scarcity classes back in his day, and he never understood how I could get worked up over an ungraded course.

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Synopsis

Scarcity class is a class all about what it used to be like when you needed sleep, had to deal with hormones and could catch a cold. Two young teenagers are about to discover the wonders of dreams and the challenges of the past in a two week project. One that could just lead them to their own little happily ever after in such a stupid perfect world.

Thoughts

The first part of this story really didn’t grab me. Which is why I didn’t just read through it in one sitting. It was late at night, and I quite frankly decided that going to sleep was probably going to be more beneficial to my tomorrow’s health than reading this short story. But then I picked it up the next day. And once you get past those first few pages, this short story is actually really, really good. It is fun and interesting. And kind of makes a mockery of the idea of creating a perfect world.

I’m completely new to Scott Westerfeld, so I wasn’t really aware that he wrote sci fi stories. Which meant that in the beginning when Scarcity class, trips to Mars and classes at the North Pole were mentioned, I had no freaking idea what was happening. I thought this story was in a collection of fantasy tales, so it threw me more than a little. Once my slow, tired little brain caught on however, I started getting really quite excited. This was a great concept. A future world in which all of the things we just take as part of everyday life (sleep, common cold, travel) have been removed. People live in this completely perfect world that has none of the annoying, time consuming parts of today.

There was a slightly satirical nature to this story. The title, and repetition of the phrase “stupid perfect world” reminded me that it’s all those horrible, annoying things that happen which can kind of make it all the more fun. After all, where would we be if we didn’t make stupid mistakes, let our hormones get ahead of us and have the most tripped out dreams? I feel like so much just wouldn’t happen, and life would certainly be incredibly boring.

 <- Sleeping with the Spirit ReviewThinner Than Water Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

On the Slide by Richard Bowes

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
naked-city

Title: On the Slide
Author: Richard Bowes
In: Naked City (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Easy reading, Time travel, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 11th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: Grainy black-and-white detectives in suits and hats chased a gunman over the roofs of early 1960s New York.

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Synopsis

He’s trying to slide through time to fix up the mistakes of the past. But is he going to be able to do this on the set of a movie?

Thoughts

It took me a little while to understand what was happening in this story. Mostly because it’s a short story in a collection of urban fantasy tales, and it didn’t quite seem like a fantasy until about three quarters of the way through. And then I started to really pick up on the nuances and quiet storylines that I’m beginning to recognise in Richard Bowes’ short stories. It was at this point that I decided I really wanted to go back to the beginning and read it again with more awareness.

The idea of sliding through time isn’t anything new, but the dreamy and twisty way in which Bowes tells the story made it feel a little newer. There was something that made you feel like you were sliding in and out of time as you read the story anyway, so when that final transition occurred, it wasn’t so shocking. Rather, it felt… inevitable.

In a collection of tales of urban fantasy, this was a nice, contemporary spin. There wasn’t the same level of supernatural and preternatural characters and stories which I’m used to. And I really enjoyed it. Sometimes it’s good to step out of your comfort zone and try something new… especially when it takes you pleasantly by surprise.

 <- How the Pooka Came to New York City ReviewThe Duke of Riverside Review ->
Image source: Patricia Briggs

Sleeping with the Spirit by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for love is hell book cover

Title: Sleeping with the Spirit
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
In: Love is Hell ( Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Easy reading, Ghosts
Dates read: 10th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: “Hello, Brenda.”

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Synopsis

Brenda can’t sleep at night, she’s being haunted by a specter in her dreams. But, when she realises what he actually wants, she decides that sleep might not be the worst thing after all.

Thoughts

I’ve obviously been reading much too much paranormal romance stories of late. Just by reading the title of this novella, I was expecting something far more erotic and a lot less… innocent. And kind of cute. It was a surprise, but it was a nice one.

This story made me really want to pick up tales of necromancy and ghost-speakers. The idea of a young girl seeing ghosts, not only her own sister, but also a boy who had been killed twenty years before hand was just a little too fun and close to other, similar stories on my shelves. But, I digress…

Brenda is a nice female lead, she’s scared by her past, unsure of her future and just generally confused. And, I mean, what teenager isn’t? The fact that she’s being haunted just seems to make it that much worse. Yet, in the end, she finds a way to heal, do the right thing and embrace the new life and reality that she wants in her world.

I was kind of expecting a bit of a murder mystery / thriller to this story. Especially when the fact that Brenda lives in a “blood bath” house was revealed. But it wasn’t even remotely about that. This story was about forgiveness and moving on. Finding hope in love, in whichever and whatever form that takes. Which is why I found it so sweet.

 <- Love is Hell ReviewStupid Perfect World Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

The Twits by Roald Dahl

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for the twits roald dahl book cover

Title: The Twits
Author: Roald Dahl
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading
Dates read: 16th June – 5th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 1980
5th sentence, 74th page: He was out of breath and so tired he could hardly flap his wings.

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Synopsis

How do you outwit a Twit? Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything — except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don’t just want out, they want revenge.

Thoughts

Growing up, my best friend and I decided that we were the “Twin Twits”. And I couldn’t for the life of me remember why and where this came from. Until I bought a box set of Roald Dahl books. And realised exactly why we used the word Twits. As an adult, I’m not entirely sure why we thought that was “cool”, but it meant that rereading this was a great, nostalgic journey down memory lane.

This is one of those fun, easy things that, as an adult you can read in under half an hour. It only took me a few days because I kept getting distracted by being… well, an adult. It’s funny and full of these quirky, lively illustrations. The storyline isn’t a difficult one, and actually really only comes into play about halfway through the novel. Mostly because the first half is just a series of funny little anecdotes about how horrible Mr and Mrs Twit are.

I can imagine keeping this book for years and reading it to my future nieces, nephews and maybe children. Teaching them all about the silliness of the Twits and the karma that followed their horrible actions. Sharing the fun pictures and laughing at the randomness of the activities.

<- Switch BitchTwo Fables ->

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