The Bookshelf

On My Reading Table

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It’s been busy reading month in many ways… I’m trying to make up for this month, where it’s unlikely I’ll be getting engrossed in other people’s stories. I’ll be watching The Dark Materials instead 😉

The Faerie Games By Michelle Madow – with more than a nod to Hunger Games and Harry Potter, this had me hooked after a shaky start. I knew it felt familiar but didn’t quite get it then. Love the simple style and the nods to some things based in reality which helps to ground things for the reader. Selena, the wannabe fairy really takes up the challenge. She has written loads and I will definitely read more.

Wolf Moon (Violet of Ravenwood) by J.M Taylor – I chose to read this story because it has the same title, Wolf Moon, as my first fantasy novella! I hadn’t known that of course and as mine is a series I probably need to define it as such. But this was a great easy read and written in first person, which is the Point of View I’m hoping to use for my next project 🙂 Looking forward to the next book in the series, but have just downloaded another book from this author, so that’s a good sign!

The Familiars by Stacey Halls – Just loved this tale. Came across it from an episode of Pointless would you believe? It’s a tale of women and witchcraft and is beautifully written. I really connected with the main character, Fleetwood (what a great name!) and her midwife, Alice Gray. Set in the time when women gifted with the skills of nature and childbirth were seen as evil, by the patriarchal society, it provided intriguing insight. And written in the first person, so we see everything through Fleetwood.

Nevernight (The Nevernight Chronicle #1) by Jay Kristoff – This is one of the books that I put down before I finished. I usually try and persevere for at least a third of the book. The biggest problem were the footnotes which were so distracting. They weren’t additional clarification but part of the story so why not write them in the text? It was soooo annoying and this is a book with rave reviews and star ratings which can only back up my views about reviews. Very subjective. The story might have been a good one but I’ll never know and life is too short too waste.

Secrets of the Mechanical Heart by J M Taylor – yes, a second book by this author this month. It’s short and sweet, I’m sure the story could have been longer but it was well written and intriguing. I’m sure that there will be more with this character, Amelia and the legacy left to her by her father of using machines to help animals and humans… kind of steam punk, I think. Really enjoyed the lightness of it.

What have you been reading? Should I add it to my TBR list?

 

On My Reading Table

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Last month I started this post in an effort to get off Social Media and back into reading more. I’ve always been a bit of a bookworm but that changed a little when we had to convert to Kindles, just out of practicability. I don’t have the opportunity to pass books on like I did when we lived in Dorset and tiny little casa is being constantly reviewed for clutter. I do still miss the turn of a page and the smell of the paper.

So what have I been reading this month, other than the constant stream of you-know-what? If you follow my personal page on FB you will know what I’m talking about 😉

The Eye of the World #1 by Robert Jordan – I must admit I found this particular book a little hard and actually put it down several times. Jordan was an American author and there are 14 books in the series. He is considered one of the epic writers but for some reason it just wasn’t working for me. Not that it would put me off reading another one of his titles.

The Final Empire: Mistborn 1 by Brandon Sanderson – this is a complex story set in a world’where for a 1000 years the ash has fallen and no flowers have bloomed’. Two half skaa (the slaves in the story) come together after recognizing their skills as ‘Mistborns’ to defeat the Lord Ruler. It’s a fantastic piece of storytelling with a lot of thought gone into the magic systems. The world building is pretty impressive too and I particularly liked the attention to characterisation, Kelsier and Vin came alive on the page.

And, yes, only two books this month, a lot below my normal average but I have been doing a lot of research for my next project… and they were both epic in terms of length. That’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it 😅

 

 

 

 

 

So what have you been reading? I’m always up for recommendations of any kind, so please let me know!

 

My Reading Table

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In an effort to switch my attention from social media and all the continued world shenanigans that feed that attention, I’m going to try and drown myself in reading. I need to redress the balance, too much of my time is spent reading about stuff that worries me, makes me cross or provokes me. I have spent less time reading, than perhaps anytime in my life. So these books have recently been on my ‘table’ (in other words my Kindle), along with the odd cat or three 😉

I don’t offer reviews as such – that’s a conversation for another time – just the things that I took away from the experience. And if you have any recommendations of a good read, preferably by an Indie author, I’m all ears.

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicle #1) by Patrick Rothfuss – I’m trying to read more fantasy books at the moment as I’m concentrating on developing my writing within that genre. So I’m reading to learn as well as enjoy. This author was recommended somewhere where I lurk on social media, so it isn’t always a bad thing! This story is about a boy’s journey from a childhood filled with sadness to becoming a gifted magician. It’s narrated by the main character to a scribe, so an interesting way to use flashbacks.

Daughter of Time by Sarah Woodbury – was also recommended by another writer/reader. This is a time travel light romance which takes a modern character back to the 13th century in Wales. I’m not a historian so can’t comment on the accuracy but it came across real enough, and that’s what fiction is all about, engaging the reader. The biggest thing I will take from this book is the number of titles this author has to her name! The list at the end is long and I shall certainly be dipping my reading glasses further.

I’ll Keep You Safe by Peter May – I’ve read all this author’s previous thriller titles. This particular book is based in Scotland (some of his previous works have been in Ireland) and he portrays setting particularly well without spelling it out or overusing dialect. The story doesn’t stay in Scotland and it starts with a gruesome murder and the reader is taken through the days, months and years preceding this. I like reading different genres because it shows me the important things about writing no matter what label it has. Character. Plot. World Building.

Map of Plagues: A Mapwalker Novel #2 by J.F.Penn – I featured Joanna Penn in one of my Author Shout Out blogs and this is her latest publication. It’s based on boundaries (a common theme at the moment😉) but good and evil boundaries and the premise fascinates me. It’s the characters who engage you and take you into a world you may not have thought of entering. These kind of books are the ones that will go on my read again list.