Title: White Rose Author: Kip Wilson Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Historical fiction, Poetry, War Pace: Slow Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2019
This was a whole story, written entirely in verse. Which I’ve never really had the pleasure of reading something like this before. I’ve read collections of poems, but not the entirety of a story being told in poems. I wasn’t sure what I was going to think, but I found that I really loved this. The lyricality of it was just beautiful and made a pretty sensitive topic a little bit more palatable.
White Rose is based on the true story of peaceful resistance to the Nazi regime in WWII. I honeslty didn’t know this was something that had happened, and I loved reading about it. Something about the beauty and lyricality of the words made the horrors of what I was actually reading a little less painful. On the surface, it also made the emotionality of it all a whole lot more intense.
I really enjoyed this novel, although I probably won’t read it again. It was fairly intense, and the flickering of the timelines really made me think in depth about the results of the Nazi regime and all of its horrors. Not something that I want to sit in for too long if I’m honest. I normally read as an escape from reality, not to remind me how much people suck.
I absolutely loved this story – I mean, it’s a tale about steampunk doctors, with paranormal problems. It’s a short and fun read, but with a whole lot of drama that I was honestly not even expecting. To be fair, I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this, so it was a really pleasant journey to go on. Plus, it meant that this was a story that was next to impossible to put down.
Amongst all of the paranormal and steampunk fun, there was a bit of a romance amongst this story. I love that Piyali chooses to pursue the career that she wants, even if it could potentially ruin her relationship with the man that she loves. The fact that she is forced to return to him after some fairly large misunderstandings and they eventually find their way back to one another was really fun. They both want their second chance, but it is only when they are able to be open and honest that they actually manage to take advantage of this chance.
I spent a lot of this book having a good giggle about the different local women vying for Evan’s attentions. And then there is the fact that there is just a… blue frog running around biting people. I actually wanted to know more about the frog and the politics of the little village than the romance. I mean, Piyali and Evan as a couple were great, but mostly I really loved the frog. I’m not really sure what that says about me to be honest.
A Trace of Copper was a quick, easy and fun read. I pretty much read it cover to cover, I just didn’t want to put it down. So maybe it’s good that it was a short read – I didn’t abandon my responsibilities for too long to enjoy this story. I’m definitely looking forward to reading In Pursuit of Dragons and the rest of the books in this fantastically crafted steampunk world.
Title: The Rose Code Author: Kate Quinn Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one) My Bookshelves:Historical fiction Pace: Slow Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2021
This is one of those books that I really, really wanted to like. It gets a lot of positive feedback and the concept is absolutely brilliant. And, to be honest, I did really enjoy it for the first third, and then I started to get a bit bogged down in it. Quinn is an amazing writer, but I just couldn’t fall in love with The Rose Codelike I wanted to.
For me, the biggest issue with The Rose Code was that it really dragged on. For the first third, I was absolutely obsessed with the story. But then, by the time I got halfway through, I kind of didn’t care anymore. The women were fun characters and kind of kick ass, all in their own way, shape and form. But I felt like a large chunk of the story and the descriptors could have been removed. The story kind of stagnated in the everyday, rather than leading forward into the drama.
Another reason I probably didn’t fall head over heels for this story was that I’m honestly not a huge fan of this form of historical fiction. Quinn’s writing is very factual, and as mentioned, bogged down in the minutiae of the daily. For some, this is probably the exact format they like to consume their historical fiction in, but I personally prefer a lot more character growth and drama.
I probably won’t read anymore books by Quinn, but I did enjoy trying this book. Not one of those books that I felt was a waste of time. But definitely one that I won’t be rereading anytime soon. Maybe at another stage in life, this will be a more suited story to my tastes. All around, I found this disappointing – I wanted to love this and I loved the entire premise. But I just couldn’t get into it.
Title: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries Author: Heather Fawcett Series: Emily Wilde #1 Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Fae, Historical fiction, Romance Pace: Medium Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2023
Sometimes I can be quite hesitant to read books which are getting a whole lot of hype, and this was one of those times. I really wanted to read this and enjoy it, but I was, admittedly, hesitant. It turns out that I didn’t need to be. This is just as amazing as the hype makes it out to be. And it is one of the most unique fae stories I’ve read in quite a while. Not only is the format of writing is through a journal, but it is also based in what I’m assuming is Sweden or something of that calibre, not the UK or US, which is often where I read about fae-based storylines.
Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries is an epic journey in which she sets out to find out more about the fae of Ljoslander. I love how she is a bit of a socially awkward being who manages to actually annoy an entire village through her misunderstandings. Yet, she also manages to save them and become a part of their community. All of this is told through her journal entries – her lack of social finesse, her inability to understand it, and her completely, total and utter fascination of the fae, to the detriment of all else. It also highlights the time lost whilst cavorting with the fae and the stupidity of some of her decision making – stupidity that she is in fact aware of even while she is pursuing her chosen pathway.
It is fairly obvious (to me at least) from early on that Bambleby is also romantically interested in Emily, even if he doesn’t necessarily pursue her in the more traditional sense. The way that this little romance unfolds is kind of adorable, and I love that Emily is completely oblivious to the fact, even as she writes all of the hints throughout her journal. Plus, there is something about Bambleby that is just out and out hilarious. He is almost his own kind of bumbling fool in the world of humans, but to a more charismatic and forgiving degree. The way that they end the story with their future lives and romance together had me smiling and kind of sighing.
I love that, even though Emily thwarts fae plans and shows that she has a whole lot of moxie and power, she is still entirely human. There is no hidden heritage to explain away her skills, no secrets in her past. Rather, she is entirely human, just a mortal with a whole lot of knowledge, intelligence and drive. The fact that her knowledge is what ultimately wins the day (and also gets her into untold trouble), despite her physical and magical limitations made me so happy. And again, is something that most definitely sets this fae story apart from many of the others gracing my shelves. Now, I can’t wait to see where this intelligence and disregard for anything but the pursuit of knowledge will land Emily and Bambleby next!
Title: Fast Girls: A Novel of the 1936 Women’s Olympic Team Author:Elise Hooper Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Feminism, Historical fiction, Sport Pace: Medium Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2020
I’m someone who likes to read a good biography or historical fiction as a bit of a nighttime read. I tend to find they’re not quite as fast paced and intense as my fantasy and romance books. Fast Girls was supposed to be one such read. It didn’t end up being like that at all. Fast Girls was absolutely impossible to put down and filled my brain with so much amazing information that I honestly couldn’t sleep after reading it. The three stories of Betty Robinson, Louise Stokes and Helen Stephens were riveting and emotionally entangling. I love that they were based in reality, and it wasn’t just the stars that Hooper chose to focus on, but the other members of the Olympics team. Those that are sometimes just as talented, but get overlooked.
The fact that Hooper used two well-known women, Betty Robinson and Helen Stephens, but also a lesser known Olympian, Louise Stokes to tell this tale was a brilliant, and, admittedly, surprising move. It’s a great reminder of the strength of women and some of the different hurdles we’ve had to overcome in the past. I love that it honours the women who have come before and how important their multitude of contributions are. Not just those that are loud, proud, front and centre. But also the people who continued fighting and maybe never got any kind of acknowledgement whilst they were alive. It was definitely an interesting, but also very humbling read and thing to think about.
I’m passionate about my two chosen sports and have definitely got more dedication than some to do well in those fields. However, the dedication and passion that top athletes show is a bit of a different story. I love how well Hooper talks about this commitment. How it is almost a part of breathing to be running for these girls. Particularly in the 1930’s when they had even greater challenges to overcome than I do today. I can’t imagine that level of commitment and pure love – I get close with some things, but not like this. I love that Hooper spends a lot of this story emphasising that it’s not just the natural talent that got these three women to the top of their field. It was also their passion, commitment and pure stubbornness.
After reading Fast Girls, I not only want to discover more about Betty Robinson, Helen Stephens and Louise Stokes (although my understanding is that there is a whole lot less information about Louise out there). I also want to discover more about the “Nazi Olympics” of 1936. I’m also absolutely fascinated by the life and trials of Stella Walsh, who, whilst she didn’t feature in this story, has an interesting journey all of her own. I can’t imagine the social and political pressures surrounding the 1936 Olympics, and for this reason alone, I want to know so much more about it!!!
Title: Cinnamon and Gunpowder Author: Eli Brown Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Adventure, Historical fiction, Pirates Pace: Fast Format: eBook, Novel Year: 2013
It’s not often that a book completely surprises me with its ending, but Cinnamon and Gunpowder most definitely managed it. It wasn’t a surprise in a bad way either. Rather, just… not quite what I was anticipating for the end of this novel. And, even if I was a little disappointed in the first instance, the more I’ve sat with this ending, the more I’ve loved it. There was a great feeling of contentment and calm at the end of this story that I have really enjoyed sitting in once I turned that final page. I love that there was a sense of open-endedness with the conclusion though. You can imagine all of the characters enjoying their hard earned rest, but that there’s potentially other adventures just around the corner.
One of my favourite things about Cinnamon and Gunpowder was the skill of description which Eli Brown employs. Particularly the descriptions of the food that he makes throughout. I love that amongst the swashbuckling adventures, the changing of morals and the insanity of the high seas, Owen Wedgewood is also driven to create culinary masterpieces. Each of these have just enough description in how and what he’s made that it is tempting to try and test myself in this culinary trend too. I won’t because I don’t have the time or energy to actually nurse a sourdough starter in my shirt. But, wow, did I enjoy imagining myself in Wedgewood’s shoes.
Every chapter of this book brings a new and intense swashbuckling adventure to the fore. I love that every character has incredibly unique drives and passions. And that each point of conflict (of which there are many) is driven by these vastly different characters. There’s also the fact that the understanding of what motivates each character is understood incredibly differently as the story flows forwards. Primarily this is because Wedgewood starts to move on from his stiff and restricted view of the world. From a very English and puritan viewpoint to one that is more accepting, loving and similar to more modern ideals. The fact that this viewpoint is drastically changed alongside Owen’s very obvious falling in love just made me love it all that much more.
It was immensely easy to fall in love with Wedgewood and his adventures. But it was also easy to fall in love with all of the other characters. I loved Mr. Apples, Joshua and the twins. But it was most definitely Mabbot who I was drawn to the most. Even at the beginning, when the descriptions of her were less than complimentary, they still made me absolutely adore the mad captain. I loved that even though, on the surface, her decisions seemed unnecessarily cruel and evil, the more you find out, the more you understand the logic behind her motivations. It made her drive to find and stop the Brass Fox that much more admirable and I love how strongly she helped Wedgewood change his opinion of the world around him.
This was a fantastic story that I absolutely devoured. The writing style was a little bit more formal than I have been reading lately, so I did take a little longer than usual. However, I really enjoyed this departure from my “normal”. I will definitely be looking to add some more Eli Brown books to my shelves in the near future.
I’m loving reading about the two couples in this as the story unfolds. Both Matt and India, and Duke and Willie are fantastic couples. They might both be in the budding stages of their respective relationships, but they both work so well together. Plus, it makes me want to dive into the next book just to see which couple gets together first!
I love that throughout this, India is discovering more about her magic and self. She spends the actions of The Mapmaker’s Apprentice growing into herself and gaining confidence. Plus, she’s finding out more about how magic works in the world and why it’s so forbidden in certain circles. Which, as the reader, I loved putting together the pieces alongside India.
Matt’s eligibility and marriageability is being seriously tested by his aunt throughout. I think that this is partly because she sees his attachment to India, but also because she’s an aunt and that’s what bored aunts do. The constant attempts to set him up and have him happily married are incredibly fun and somewhat awkward. I love that whilst the attempts petered off at the end of this novel, there’s so many hints of future attempts and just Matt’s feelings in general.
Although, for me, the focus in this story is on the relationships and growth of the characters, there was also the plot afoot. I was expecting the missing persons case they worked to have a much happier ending. So, although I loved this novel, I did find that I turned the last page with a bit of a melancholy mood. Which, somehow just makes me all that much more keen to dive into The Apothecary’s Poison.
Family is always a tricky thing to experience, describe and write about. Often, it is the thing that most destroys us, but also holds us together. This short story was a reminder of all of that darkness, a family trying to survive throughout war. But falling apart as they try to stay together. It honestly hurt my heart to read this tale. But also reminded me to cherish the family I have and the good memories.
There was a dark foreshadowing in the tone of this story from the very beginning. It was pretty obvious from the beginning that there wasn’t going to be a happy ending for these siblings. Plus, that kind of follows the tone of most of the stories in Green Monkey Dreams… there’s a layer of darkness that I haven’t focused in on in a while.
We all play games as children, and sometimes we remember the most random aspects of these games. Yet, sometimes these games and moments of perceived joy hid a greater, and much darker truth. In this case, the ways in which we hide from the truth and try to protect each other…
I absolutely adored the idea of a steampunk finishing school of espionage and assassination. The fact that it was also a floating school that had a werewolf and vampire in attendance… unforgettable. Sophrina is also a fantastic and lovely leading lady who I wish I’d met when I was younger. She’s intelligent, caring and completely relatable. Everything about this story from beginning to end was brilliant and I can’t wait to read more of Carriger’s world!
Sophrina was one of the favourite female leads I’ve read in a while. She’s not described as beautiful or ugly. Indeed, she’s just average looking, I love that she’s not ugly or beautiful but actually normal looking. And, more than anything, it is her inner beauty that people fall in love with. I love that she is willing to try things that others aren’t willing to. And has a problem solving mind that loves to explore the world around her.
Soap and the sooties are a great cast of characters, I love how Carriger uses those who are overlooked to help inform Sophrina of the world around her. Including Sophrina’s inventor friend – someone who likes to shuffle around the school and find plenty of rules to break. I’m absolutely in love with them, and I really love how they readily except Sophrina into their lives.
The world building within this novel is completely amazing. That, and the fact that Carriger has positive female friendships throughout. I mean, Monique and Preasha are not great, and work really well as antagonists, but the majority of Sophrina’s relationships are incredibly positive. And, even Monique and Preasha aren’t bad because of females being pitted against one another, they’re just not great people. There’s also the fact that Sophrina is able to encourage others to form positive relationships and be themselves.
Throughout the entirety of this story, Sophrina attempts to outwit and outsmart Monique’s selfish evil. And, although you know she’s going to at least win partially in the end, it’s brilliant how she actually goes about it. Plus, it’s kind of hilarious. Now I can’t wait to see what other shenanigans Sophrina and her friends get up to.
I need to start this review by saying that I really, really don’t like Romeo and Juliet. I mean, other than Wuthering Heights, it may be one of my least favourite stories. They’re just so…. irritating. Which means that the fact that this is a retelling of that story put this on the backfoot to begin with. Not to say that I didn’t enjoy it, but I wasn’t mad about it like so many other stories I’ve been reading lately.
Although I couldn’t quite fall in love with the characters in this. I DID love the world building. And the story line. And pretty much everything other than Roma and Juliette. And the romance aspect. I’m just not a huge fan of the whole crossed lovers storyline. And the betrayal and such…
I would love to read more flappers stories. And the fact that this one is set in Shanghai just makes it all that much more intriguing and unique. I mean, the 20s aren’t an era that I’ve read much of… let alone the 20s in Shanghai and all of the politics that occurred there. Mix in teo rival gang heirs and the paranormal element… it was a pretty good sell.
Although I loved like 90% of this book, I found it incredibly hard to connect to the characters. And I do tend to find if I can’t connect to the characters, then I don’t hugely care what happens in the end. Which, ultimately is why I feel like this is a try again kind of book.
Earth and Skye 