The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books. It is now hosted by Billy @Coffee Addicted Writings. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
I would, and indeed have done so previously. I do have two basic rules though that must have been met. The first is that I have actually read their book and the second is that I must have enjoyed it.
I’m not a PR company I am a book blogger. This means I feel no obligation to promote every book or author that comes to my notice. My blog is an extension/ reflection of my reading tastes and it wouldn’t sit right with me to promote authors or books I haven’t read l.
Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post hosted by Jen @That’s What I’m Talking About, where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the questions from Jen’s blog and answer it on your own.
How long do you give a new-to-you series to decide if you like it?
If I don’t enjoy book 1 there is no way I am going to waste any time trying subsequent books in a series. It’s highly unlikely I would purchase a whole book series in one go. The only times I have done so is when they are sold as a box set and said box set is on sale for no more than the cost of Book #1 alone.
Even if I’ve enjoyed the first in a series I would generally only buy the next book rather than all the remaining books. Experience has taught me that one good book does not a series make. In fact, if a book, whether part of a series or not, hasn’t got me hooked by 20 – 25% then the chances are I’ll DNF it. So in some ways, that’s how long I give a new-to-me series too.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – there are too many books on my TBR and not enough time in my life to read them, so I’m not wasting what time I do have on books I don’t enjoy.
Welcome to my weekly round-up post where I link up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberley @Caffeinated Reviewer as well as TheSunday Salon meme hosted by the wonderful Deb @Readerbuzz. Do please pop by their blogs and show them a little love 💗.
Life Last Week
My older-by-a-minute son introduced us to his new girlfriend this weekend. She seems absolutely lovely and it’s been a pleasure to have her stay with us. It’s rather a long distance relationship as she lives up in Glasgow, just under 300 miles away and the journey there can be anywhere from 5 to 7 hours.
I can’t believe that we have already spent five weeks in our temporary home, though it also feels as though we’ve been here forever too! We have to spend the week packing and labelling every box and every piece of furniture with which room we want it taking to at our at-least-for-the-next-two-years home.
Last Weeks Books
The Immortality Thief was everything I had hoped it would be. It was perhaps a touch overlong, but once I hit the halfway mark I just couldn’t get enough of this one – thank you Netgalley! The Midnight Library and Reputation were both library e-books, with TML proving to be everything the taglines and quotes claim it to be. I loved how Reputation represented the diversity of the British regency era, something that isn’t true for many historical romance novels. Sadly I struggled to warm to the main character in this one.
Currently Reading
One small act can make a big difference Violet Strong is strong by name but not by nature, or so she thinks. She listens but never talks about herself. She’s friendly but doesn’t have many real friends. She’s become good at keeping people at a distance ever since she left home at eighteen and never looked back. But when Violet is forced to return home to care for her estranged mother, Glenys, she quickly finds out that life as a carer isn’t easy. Feeling overwhelmed, she’s forced to turn to the other local carers, including childhood friend, Adam, for help. Although returning home still feels like a mistake, maybe it will help Violet right some wrongs. After all, she can’t keep running from her past forever, and in learning to look after others, perhaps Violet can start to finally love herself…
Looking forward to…
… spending 4 days in Masham, North Yorkshire
… getting settled in our more permanent work place.
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish meme created by Rukky @ Eternity Books and is hosted by Aria @BookNookBits. Each Friday, there is a discussion topic for bloggers to write about, this week we will be discussing…
Prompts: DNF is an acronym that stands for did not finish. What makes you DNF a book? How often do you DNF books? What’s the silliest or pettiest reason why you DNF’d a book? Do you review books that you DNF?
The world is made up of two types of readers. The first type always has to finish a book once started, no matter how bad, how boring, how annoying, how bland it might be. The rest of us eyeball our mountainous TBR list and acknowledge that there are far too many good books out there to waste time on the bad ones.
What makes you DNF a book? Annoying characters, unbelievable situations or reactions, lacklustre dimensionless characters, awkward writing and realising that I am so uninterested in the book I just want to read something else. I DNFd a book I had otherwise been enjoying at 65% when the hero treated the heroine’s PTSD/rape trauma using techniques he had found on the internet. Excuse me please whilst I just step outside and SCREAM!!!! I know I am much harsher on books with contemporary settings and anything that smacks of being far-fetched or unrealistic will trigger me. I can read some pretty dark and gritty stuff. The kind of stories that come with a long, long list of trigger warnings. However, if you want me to suspend my disbelief then please make it a fantasy/paranormal/sci-fi book and not one set in the real world. Another book I DNFd had the President of a less-than-legit MC club discussing with his fellow bikers just how much he loved the heroine. This supposedly hard-core and wrong side of the law biker was spouting hearts, flowers and unicorns about a girl he had just met to the rest of his motorcycle club. Way to go to convince me of how alpha, macho and mean the man was – not! I also DNFd a book recently because I simply didn’t care enough to know what happened next.
How often do you DNF books? So far this year I’ve DNFd 25 books, which averages at 2.8 books per month. Sometimes I go weeks without DNFing a single book, other times I can have 3 or 4 DNFs in a row.
What’s the silliest or pettiest reason why you DNF’d a book? I don’t consider any of the reasons to be silly or petty. I feel it’s sillier to keep reading a book you aren’t enjoying than it is to DNF it. The only reason I can think of that I would consider petty/silly would be DNFing for content that was clearly warned about in the blurb.
Do you review books that you DNF? I review everything on Goodreads, both as a personal record and to share my experience of the book. I use reviews to help me choose which books I will buy. I’ve avoided books that would have annoyed me and I’ve tried other books that I’ve loved, as a result of reading reviews, including DNF ones. I do try my best to be clear and give the reason(s) for DNFing, I’m not a fan of reviews that just say “I hated this” just as I find the “I loved it” to be equally unhelpful.
The Book Blogger Hop was originally created by Jennifer @ Crazy-For-Books. It is now hosted by Billy @Coffee Addicted Writings. Each week the hop will start on a Friday and end the following Thursday. There will be a weekly prompt featuring a book related question. The hop’s purpose is to give bloggers a chance to follow other blogs, learn about new books, befriend other bloggers, and receive new followers to your own blog.
I don’t know whether to hyperventilate or laugh hysterically at this week’s prompt. Thankfully if I don’t have my kindle with me – and believe me when I say that’s quite an unusual event – I have my phone. On my phone is the Borrowbox app, which allows me access to hundreds of library e-books.
On a more serious note, I don’t always take my kindle to work because I don’t tend to have an opportunity to read it. Sometimes I put it in my bag because I know I’ll have some time to read whilst waiting to pick my son up from his workplace. I like to think I could cope for a few hours but I’m sure I would be lost if I didn’t have access to a book for more than a day or two.
A Winter Warmer at the Little Cornish Kitchen (The Little Cornish Kitchen Book 3) by Jane Linfoot
“Winter Warmer” is a very entertaining, moving and heart-warming piece of women’s/adult fiction. It can be read as a stand-alone story, set in the fictional Cornish town of St Aiden’s, though it does contain very mild spoilers for previous books. I found the title to be a little misleading, since the story spans several months, only ending once it is winter.
Gwen is a wonderfully sympathetic character, one whom you cannot help but instantly warm too arriving in St Aiden’s battered down by life and painful loss. We get to accompany her on a very emotional but inspiring journey back to living life to it’s fullest and being brave enough to love again. I laughed with Gwen, I cried with Gwen and I watched her fall in love, cheering as she found her way back to happiness.
In regards to Ollie, I did find her to be somewhat of an unreliable narrator, which in turn made it difficult to believe fully in her sudden change of heart. As the book is narrated solely from her viewpoint it also made it difficult for me to connect with him for quite a while, since I was only “seeing” him from a negative perspective. Once we get to know and understand him a little more things did pick up for me.
The romance aspect was a little lacking, though since this isn’t described as romance (at least not on Netgalley) I’m not removing any stars for that. Everything was a little more told than shown, and most of the interactions we do get to see between Ollie and Gwen either end in a fall-out, are fairly brief or are glossed over. The last third of the book was much more convincing and we get to see how truly sweet and kind Ollie is.
My only true disappointment, in what was otherwise a great read, was the character of Ella. Although she was mentioned a lot in the book Ella was conspicuous by her absence most of the time. Even when she WAS there we never really had any heart-to-heart or deep conversations between these LIFELONG TWO BEST FRIENDS. Two friends who had moved to Cornwell in a bid to heal themselves, yet all I can tell you about Ella is she wears black sloggi knickers, didn’t have many domestic skills and worked an awful lot. I couldn’t say whether I liked her or not as she felt like a very rough outline of a character, with no shading in or depth.
Overall this is a story I would happily recommend to those who enjoy women’s fiction. It has good writing with a style of prose that flows smoothly, engaging characters and a setting that you want to immediately move to.
Synopsis St Aidan: a cosy Cornish village where friendships are made for life and it’s always cocktail hour somewhere…
A clean slate in the world’s cosiest cottage by the sea…
When Gwen Starkey and her best friend, Ella Simpson, arrive in St Aidan to take on a cottage renovation, it’s the fresh start they both so desperately need. But when their new adventure begins with them unintentionally breaking into their neighbour, Ollie Lancaster’s cottage – thinking it’s their new home – and Gwen accidentally flashing the gorgeous Ollie before they flee, the life-long friends realise that life in Cornwall is going to be anything but quiet!
They also quickly discover that they’re in over their heads and it’s going to take a village to turn their cottage’s narrow walls into the luxurious hideaway of their dreams. St Aidan is full of colourful characters just waiting to welcome them, if only Gwen and Ella can find the courage to start leaving the past behind them…
Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post hosted by Jen @That’s What I’m Talking About, where bloggers discuss a wide range of topics from books and blogging to life in general. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the questions from Jen’s blog and answer it on your own.
Do you get emotional over books/movies/TV series?
This feels like such a pertinent question! I’ve just finished reading Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that YES! YES! I do get very emotional at some books (and movies/TV series).
I might sniffle, I might shed the odd tear, and for books like the one mentioned above, I might full-on ugly cry. In truth, it is the books that make me feel that are destined to become my favourites.
The Ugly Stepsister (Reimagined Fairy Tales Book 2) by Megan Van Dyke
The Ugly Stepsister is an action-packed retelling of Cinderella with a side serving of Sleeping Beauty. In this one, Ella isn’t the victim but rather the perpetrator of some seriously bad deeds and Prince Charming is dead. Instead, we have one of the not-so-ugly sisters come to the rescue. Along with a quirky set of side-kicks, she sets out to defeat the very wicked Fairy Godmother who is anything but sweet, friendly and caring.
Anna and Will are two very endearing and eminently likeable main characters. Both go on as much of a personal journey as they do a physical one, learning about friendship. love, family and forgiveness as they battle to save the kingdom from mindless enslavement. They have amazing chemistry which smouldered in a sexy slow burn before exploding into fiery passion.
I loved Mina and her brothers and really would have liked to see them feature a little more prominently. A third-person fantasy can take multiple viewpoints, this stuck to just our two protagonists. The pace was good and the writing flowed smoothly, such that my attention was readily held by the story. I do think the story could have done with trimming down a little, the premise and plot ideas were strong but at times the story began to feel as though it was covering old ground or treading water. There was plenty happening but not always in a moving-the-story-forward way.
If you enjoy an adult fairy-tale retelling with an engaging plot and solid writing then I highly recommend The Ugly Stepsister to you.
Synopsis Only Anna knows the truth about Cinderella: The pauper turned queen wasn’t the victim, but the bully. Anna fled when the castle guards came to arrest her mother and sister on Cinderella’s orders. But leaving them in bondage at the Fairy Godmother’s workhouse? Out of the question. Disguised as a young man and taking the name of Ansel, she’ll do whatever it takes to free her family and set the record straight. Will, a former royal huntsman, was nearly killed for dissenting Cinderella’s rise as queen in the wake of the sudden death of the king and his son. He hatches a plan to take Cinderella down, and encounters Ansel, who wants revenge just as much as he does. Drawn together by a common goal and burgeoning feelings neither can ignore, Will and Ansel enact a plan to assassinate the queen. But when that goes awry and buried secrets come to light, they’ll have to choose: continue running from their pasts or accept themselves in order to forge a new future together.
Welcome to my weekly round-up post where I link up with The Sunday Post hosted by Kimberley @Caffeinated Reviewer as well as TheSunday Salon meme hosted by the wonderful Deb @Readerbuzz. Do please pop by their blogs and show them a little love 💗.
Life Last Week
A cormorant offering a good photo opportunityI’m not sure how this chick will fair as it turns colderNot the best photo but these Goldfinches just begged to be shared
The weather has turned distinctly damp and I’ve succumbed to turning the heating on… but only for a few hours a day since energy prices have more than doubled this year. Nottingham’s Goose Fair opened yesterday, and brought with it typical ‘Goose Fair’ weather of rain and fog! Several different incidents across the city caused rush hour gridlock and I ended up having to drive one of our students home after their taxi still hadn’t arrived an hour after its regular booked slot. The journey wasn’t improved by the torrential downpour of rain yesterday.
The news has been all doom and gloom as energy prices rise yet again, inflation is rocketing, interest rates are rising and financial institutions are warning of troubling times ahead. Thankfully the personal news is much better, my daughter won a dance award and my younger-by-a-minute son has returned for his second year of university. I’m not sure if it’s a good thing or bad thing that he still lives at home though – especially when he leaves dirty clothes and pots lying around the house!
Last Weeks Books
With This Kiss ended up being a DNF for me. I struggled to connect with the main characters nor did I believe in them as a couple, eventually ending up skipping most of the middle section of the book and reading the last 4 or 5 chapters just to see how the story was resolved. In better news, Under The Whispering Door by TJ Klune was a 5-star winner. If you haven’t read this author yet all I can say is “What are you waiting for?”, his books are the most amazing and emotional journeys of growth, acceptance and love.
Currently Reading
The Immortality Thief is a ridiculously fun, fast paced, seat-of-your-pants read full of treasure hunts, traps, deadly enemies, betrayal, secrets, mysterious aliens, adventure and action as the story races to the find the secret to immortality. Far off the edge of human existence, beside a dying star lies a nameless ship abandoned and hidden, lost for a millennium. But there are secrets there, terrible secrets that would change the fate of humanity, and eventually someone will come looking. Refugee, criminal and linguist Sean Wren is made an offer he knows he can’t refuse: life in prison, “voluntary” military service – or salvaging data in a long-dead language from an abandoned ship filled with traps and monsters, just days before it’s destroyed in a supernova. Data connected to the Philosopher’s Stone experiments, into unlocking the secrets of immortality. And he’s not the only one looking for the derelict ship. The Ministers, mysterious undying aliens that have ruled over humanity for centuries, want the data – as does The Republic, humanity’s last free government. And time is running out. In the bowels of the derelict ship, surrounded by horrors and dead men, Sean slowly uncovers the truth of what happened on the ship, in its final days… and the terrible secret it’s hiding.
Looking forward to…
… seeing some of our anxious learners go on their first residential trip.
This has been on my TBR for quite a while and now I’m kicking myself for not having gotten around to reading it earlier. I’m sure some will struggle with Paige’s hot and cold attitude, but once you get to know her and realise how pained she is, and see her inner turmoil, then you begin to understand her so much more.
Elliot formed one corner of the love triangle in Struggle, it’s been a while since I read that one so I didn’t hold any grudges coming into this. Both books read easily as stand-alone and both are Beautifulstories that made my heart sing. In this book we see him fight so much harder for what he wants, for love, so much so that he earned a well-deserved spot in my heart.
There are no easy solutions in this book, nothing is easily gained and everything is earned through hard work and commitment. I appreciated how the author dealt with Paige’s illness and historical trauma, leaving her relationship with her family in a believable place rather than disneyfied tying things up with a glittery bow. The epilogue was incredibly moving and an incredibly perfect way to end this story.
At the back of this book is a companion novella originally released as Phoenix. Below are my thoughts on it.
A compelling novella that will help you understand Paige (from Forever), her motivations and her pain. I think what really tore me up was knowing that her crazy life, the horrors she experienced, aren’t complete fantasy. Sadly they are some people’s reality and that is as heart-breaking to know as reading this book was.
Synopsis Everything happens for a reason. So they say, anyway. But, after ruining the best relationship I ever had, I’m struggling to see a reason behind it. Instead, I loathe the man I’ve become. I’m a coward. Somewhere along the way, I stopped living my own life in favour of living for my father instead. What he wants for me, and what I want for myself are two different things. And if I don’t do something drastic, I’ll lose my balls forever. I need a new direction. Boarding a plane to London, I have only one thing on my mind: change. I need to get away from my life, my family and my past to figure out what kind of man I want to be. I’m not looking for a relationship, but when I meet fellow Aussie, Paige, something inside tells me to grab on with both hands. Paige doesn’t make things easy with her high walls and closed off heart. I find that the closer I get, the more she pushes back and clams up. But it see the struggle there too, she wants me just as much as I want her. If only she’d let me in… The last time I fell for a girl, I made a terrible decision and ruined it. This time, I’m my own man. I won’t be walking away. Elliot needs to fight harder than ever to win Paige’s heart in this gripping romantic drama featuring new and extended scenes from books A Beautiful Forever and Phoenix, republished as Forever: Beautiful Series, Two.
Life with paper, scissors and glue 