Last of the Summer Reads

Hello!
Hi!
It's me again! Yes, it is Lucy, and yes, I've not posted for an ages. Sorry about that.

So, it's September again, and summer has faded away. I can literally hear the Hogwarts Express.

Currently Reading.... The Wild Girl

 

This is the cover of 'The Wild Girl' by Kate Forsyth, and ain't it pretty? It's a lot more powder blue in real life. It's set in Napoleonic times in Cassel, Germany. Dortchen Wild lives next to the Grimm family and as she grows up she begins to develop feelings for the second oldest brother, Wilhelm. I wanted a book similar to Sally Gardner's work, and I hadn't managed to find a historical/fairy-tale for a long time. Most 'fairy-tale' books I'd found were just fantasy. To be honest, I think I've found it. I'm only 137 pages in, and the writing's beautiful, the story captivating. 

I can't wait to finish it! By the way the nail polish I'm wearing is Maybelline's Color Show in Love this Sweater. (Weird name, I know).

Here's some recommendations for those of you who, like me, love historical/ magic/ fairy-tale/romance kind of stories.

The Red Necklace, Sally Gardner , 1st of the 'French Revolution' duo.

I, Coriander  - same author as above

The Night Circus, by Erica Morgenstern

- Lucy xx

Harry Potter TAG

When I was a kid, Harry Potter was possibly one of the only things I really read. Well, Michael Morpurgo books and The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe were certainly favourites, so my reading habits became a routine: Read HP series, couple of Michael Morpurgos, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to lift me out of the sadness that the Michael Morpurgo books produced, and then the cycle would start all over again.

Let's just say I was waiting for my Hogwarts letter long after I turned eleven.

Here's my Harry Potter collection. 

The Act of Leaving Your Books in Random Places.

Have you ever done that? Left a book in a cafe, public transport, park bench or bus stop. Left it for someone else to stumble upon it and begin reading it? I did this yesterday (yes, sorry I haven't been posting for a while, I was in Scotland), and left Adele Park's Spare Brides on Edinburgh Trams. See what I thought of that book here.

Despite my negative experience reading the book, I wanted the stranger who picked up my book to have a positive reading experience. So I left a little message on the flycover : 'Howdy, Please read me & enjoy ^_^'.

Recently, I found a website, bookcrossing, where you can track the travels of your 'released' book. I'm not a member of bookcrossing yet, but next time I want to 'release' a book, I'll use bookcrossing, and tell everyone on here!

Would you ever leave a book in a public place?

(Obviously don't leave it in a shop, charity shop or library.)

What are your opinions on leaving books??

- Lucy xx

My Goodreads Reviews

Hi everyone!

I have decided that for the moment I won't be posting all my Goodreads reviews up here. I'll only be posting the reviews where I have a lot to say about the book here.

However, my Goodreads account is here. You can also check upon my reading challenge by looking at the widget on the sidebar.

~Lucy x

The Striking but Fascinating Differences Between British and American YA

As an avid reader of all young adult and a reader of the yearly CILIP Carnegie shortlist, a realisation began to dawn on me. American and British YA are very different. I really like comparing things, so here it goes....

A Little History of The World ~ Review

A Little History of the World by E.H. Gombrich
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a completely readable account of world history. E.H. Gombrich’s book is brilliantly written for ten year olds – and adults too. It’s written like an adventure, where history becomes exciting. A Little History allows its readers to be inquisitive without being patronized, and for me personally, I learnt about a lot of things I didn’t know about.

A Little History is brilliantly humane account of world history. Whether 10 or 110, I think this book is definitely worth reading.


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The British Tag

The tea is Clipper green tea & manuka honey.....mmmmmmmm

 

 

Hello everybody!

Today I bring you....the British Tag. I was tagged by Karin from http://karinjr.blogspot.co.uk

Top 5 Period Dramas

I really, really like period dramas. I love the costume, the houses (and if it's based on an Austen, the romance). I would like to say I'm pretty obsessed. So, without no further ado, here's my list.

Oooh, I have Bloglovin' now.

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I'm getting all computery.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Nothing has struck me more so than Meg Rosoff’s How I Live Now. Nothing has felt so personal, so real. Daisy’s thoughts sounded like mine, and often I lapsed into thinking that SHE was ME, or I was HER. She did things which sounded like I would do, felt things which I would feel, and the only four strikingly different things from me and her is that 1: She is an American, 2: Her mother died giving birth to her and therefore she has a stepmother, 3: She is romantically involved with her cousin and 4: The Third World War has begun.

Also, the scenery is so similar to where I live. I’ve walked in woodland, down country lanes, swam in rivers. I know which plants are what and which birds are which. This makes the story even more personal for me, despite not living in a war zone, I felt like I knew the surroundings. This is what made me fearful. It made the story more realistic. It made survival and the war and everything seem like it could happen on MY BACK DOORSTEP, which is utterly terrifying, especially when you leave yourself to dwell on that matter.

After the end of Part Two, I couldn’t start to read any other book. I couldn’t write a review. I had to collect myself, and not cry in a crowded room. The ending broke my heart. I had literally no idea what to do with myself. (So I doodled aimlessly. That’s what I did with myself)

Meg Rosoff’s novel is one of the most powerful novels that I’ve read in quite a while. It is completely unmissable.

N.B: By the way, I don’t understand the issue with the incest. I felt that the book was more to do with survival, war, horror, hope, family, love, fear, anger, being scared, scared, scared and trying to fight your way through it than Daisy having sex with her cousin.


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Where Rainbows End by Cecelia Ahern
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I have one and only motive for reading this book and that is Sam Clafin, or that guy who plays Finnick Odair in Catching Fire. He plays Alex in Love, Rosie along with Lily Collins. After I stalked him on IMDB, I found the trailer. And I found that the trailer looked pretty good. So I kept watching it, until I realised something I had to read the book.

It was OK. I liked the story enough to power through it in under a day, and I found the characters and their lives interesting enough. I think I liked Rosie the best, but then again… there was Divorced_1. However, I don’t think the format of the letters, notes and instant messaging worked. I didn’t feel that the instant messaging especially was written like instant messaging. Most of the time the writing felt like a traditional novel’s format minus the description. Also, having watched the trailers a billion times, I expected the book to be funnier than it was. It wasn’t. This is perhaps due to the distancing from the story due to the writing style and the fact it’s an epistolary novel.

While I enjoyed this book to devour in around twenty-four hours, it isn’t memorable.


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Girl Reading by Katie Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’m trying to compile my thoughts about this book in my head. It’s not happening because I’m overcome, overcome at each individual story and the beautiful writing. And, I need to mention the complex characters and their relationships with other people in the story, whether or not physically absent (I’m thinking of Maria and Frances). Yes, I adored this book.

I loved the writing because it was unique, and brave, especially for a debut novel. I loved the fact that there weren’t any speech marks. Let me tell you it did take quite a long time for me to get used to it, but in the end I loved it. I felt like I was more there. It had the strange feeling, despite the third person narrative, that I was in that person’s mind, whether it was Maria, Gwen, Laura, Jeannie, Flossie or Rosie. Maybe it could be cheesy-ily said that I felt a certain connection with these women and girls in these stories. I think the characters I ‘connected’ with the most were Gwen, the twins, Jeannie and Esther.

My favourite stories were the Featherstone of Piccadilly and Unknown.


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Thou Shalt try to make this blog a better bloggity experience

Because this blog has become a dumping site for my GoodReads reviews. I mean, I fully had the intention of doing this properly, but that intention has slid a little...or a lot.

But isn't the best way to become a better blog is to know the writer? Surely it is, right? I mean, all good blogs are written by people, not robots.

Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

I wasted a whole train journey reading this. Why did I dislike this book, you ask? Well, let's just say I wish I had left it on public transport.

Well, for one, the characters, for the most part were awful. There were three varying degrees of characters in this book.
Stage 1: Oh wow, these characters have substance! I feel for them, and at times they are pretty complex. These two characters Krysia and Georg Richwalder. I really appreciated how Jenoff tried to make Richwalder into somebody rather than a stereotypical Nazi.
Stage 2: These are the majority of the characters in this book. They had little or no character development, likewise, little or no character and yet they are meant to be important characters. For example, Jacob, Marta and Alek. I didn’t really have much of a strong opinion on them.
Stage 3: The most annoying character in this book was Emma. She had no real personality apart from the fact that she was incredibly innocent/ naive and stupid. She is constantly dropping things and jumping around the place. I was at a loss how she ever became a member of the Resistance – with such a vital job – as she was sure to give the game away.

Another thing which was badly done was the writing. It was so full of clichés it was hard to digest and it felt far, far too modern for 1939-1941. Emma kept saying Okay. No, this was not okay.

The plot, above all, was predictable, which I suppose was ok as I could read it quicker.I was pretty interested in it as often I couldn't put it down. However, the ending was ridiculous, silly and melodramatic.

I would say that the passing of time in this book felt that it should have been slower. A lot of time was spent reading about passages about how a month had passed since the last chapter. I suppose, I thought those months that passed could’ve been filled with foreshadowing, character development or what have you.

There was another thing that irked me. It was a blatant historical error. It is 1940-’41, when Germany is doing well in the war. Yet, Richwalder tells Emma that Germany was doing badly in the war… well, at that point they weren’t.


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Bridesmaids by Jane Costello
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

There is one thing I should stop doing now. I really shouldn’t limit what I read due to stupid connotations of genres of books.

My mind works like this: YES! Read classics, book prize winners, books that get nominated for the Nobel Prize! If you read these books you shall become a smarter person. People will listen to you more in conversations because you’ve read ‘those books’, and you’ll be an intellectual. You will, trust me.
NO! Don’t read chick-lit, thrillers, romps. You should be exercising your brain at all times. Don’t read what the masses read. Don’t! You’re an individual! Read that one, the one that’s a constant bestseller, that’s sold over 5 million copies, read it because it’s a so-called classic.
Young Adult? Teenage? Do you have to? I mean, no-one will think that you’re smart. But, if you have to, anyway – you are that age.

This is a very stupid way to think. You are limiting your possible enjoyment of books you’re just dismissing. I’m sure everyone who reads will have moments like this. I like to call these moments ‘Reading Demons’.

The problem is, even after reading this book, I had a conversation with people I deemed to be (Shock, horror) “smarter than me” e.g, read more classics than me. I was asked what I like to read. So, instead of launching into how I love The Book Thief, how I can read a Sarah Dessen book at any time, or how I just love Anna and the French Kiss, I just said, “Crap, really.” Which is not a great thing to say. It’s not a particularly great conversation starter, I know. But it was because I was embarrassed that my favourite novels are teenage fiction or romances. I was embarrassed because I couldn’t say War and Peace or something by Charles Dickens.

I’m going to say this again, this is a silly way to act, and it’s a silly way to feel – to be embarrassed by what you like.

And, so I’m going to say – unashamedly, that I really liked this book. Bridesmaids wasn’t flawless. Do I care? Nope, because I was engrossed in the story, the characters and I flew through the book. So, as we – I – have learnt in this long review that is not all a review, is to like what you like. To love what you love. And now, after I read this book and realised that chick-lit can be just as great as other novels I have read, will go by that.



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Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you read several Sarah Dessen novels, there are several things that they have in common. They are all pretty consistent, well written novels, which explore what it is like to be a teenager without being pretentious. While I enjoyed Halley’s story (took me ages to figure out how to say her name), despite her relationship with Macon and Scarlett’s pregnancy, this book just didn’t have the same effect on me as ‘Along for the ride’.

The Girl With Glass Feet by Ali Shaw
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As I picked this up in an Edinburgh Oxfam, I knew I would love this book. I just knew. A fairy-tale style book, with a girl whose feet are turning to glass.

I found this book to be beautifully written. I really got an excellent sense of St. Hauda’s Land and of the wintertime. Therefore, I read this book especially slowly to savour the beautiful writing. This is also reflected in the relationships and flash backs with certain characters, e.g. Henry Fuwa, Carl and Midas Crook senior. That is what I adored, the relationships between the minor characters.

I adored the magical element, the moth-winged cattle and the glass people. Yet, I was disappointed that nothing happened to the moth-winged cattle at the end.

However, even though I liked the two main characters, Ida and Midas, I felt the romance between them fell very flat. Luckily, I saw their romance as a side note to the story rather than the whole story.

Despite the romance of the two leads being a bit off, I would recommend this to fans of Mr Nobody or The Curious Case of Benjamin Button for the magical realism, description and the relationships of the minor characters.


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Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

While I appreciated the amount of imagination in this story, by no means did I enjoy it. Firstly, I found that there needed to be a sense of time and place. I didn't know when it was set, I guessed Victorian, and Paris did not feel like Paris. I found the story dragged a little with a quick resolution at the end,which I did not like. I liked Charles Maxim but I disliked his ward Sophie. However, most of all, the worst thing about this book is that I didn't care. I didn't care about the characters, the plot or Sophie's mother. I just didn't care. I suppose I might've enjoyed this book more if I was ten or eleven rather than seventeen.

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NW by Zadie Smith
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I really enjoyed reading N-W. It was the first novel by Zadie Smith that I have read, but I assure you, it won’t be the last. However, while reading this book my opinion was influx. The easiest way to address this is to review each section.

Visitation (Part 1)

This section 1 out of 5 stars. I found the way this part was written hard to follow. Despite the dashes indicating when speech began, I was still confused as some speech ran into Leah’s stream of consciousness. I wasn’t really concentrating on the writing or the plot or Leah, I was just trying to figure out what was being said.

I suppose this focus on Leah was disappointing, I found her story to be not as interesting as others in the book. I also found Leah to be a little whiney, which annoyed me.

Guest

I really enjoyed this section. I would’ve given it 5/5. I found Felix to be a very interesting character, and I thought that the side characters were particularly well fleshed out. Felix’s section was easier to read and it really brought out the grittiness of London, with characters such as Lloyd, Annie, and what happens to Felix at the end.

Host

I loved how this section was written, again, I would’ve given it five out of five. The idea in this part of the novel is that the reader is Natalie’s ‘host’ and we see key events in her life unfurl. I found this to be a very interesting idea and I loved how it was executed. It certainly gave us a flavour of Natalie’s life and I thought the events that happened in this section were very engaging. I also preferred Natalie greatly to Leah, and I found her character to be a fascinating one.

Crossing

Three out of five. While I enjoyed the premise, and I liked how Natalie and Nathan were on a journey during this conversation, I disliked the writing. This is partly because I love speech marks. I really do. Speech mark less, I get terribly confused. I also thought Nathan’s character was a bit of a shame. Rather than having his own part like Felix or Leah, he was merely a plot point for Natalie.

Visitation (Part 2)

Two out of five. I was mostly confused by the necessity of this part. I would’ve been happy if Zadie Smith had left it at Crossing. Nothing really happened in this section and there was no sense of a conclusion to the story, it just ended. There wasn’t a cliff-hanger either. I got the sense that N-W was simply a snippet of people’s lives, but even then I did want some sense of an ending.


What else I liked about the book: Despite me not being a Londoner, I thought Smith captured London excellently. I really enjoyed reading about the multi-cultural society and I thought Smith did a great job portraying it.


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Nectar: A Novel of Temptation by Lily Prior
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 stars out of five

This was an OK, but fun read. The comic actions of the characters in this tragicomic made me laugh. However, it is certainly not memorable nor greatly impressive.

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Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book made me weep.
I cried when we met Maddie and Jamie again, because I thought I lost them in ‘Code Name Valerie’.
I sobbed when Rose went to Ravensbrück, because I knew what lay in store there.
(view spoiler)[I became lachrymose when Karolina sacrificed herself. (hide spoiler)]
I was in shock at the end.

Elizabeth Wein has the glorious ability to make characters come alive, make events in history become more alive than some statistics in a history book, and her writing and her characters’ struggles have the ability to make me weep. Which is a very rare thing to do.

I think my favourite character was either Anna or Róza. I loved Anna because she added another dimension to the story. It wasn’t just a one sided story about the Allies, Anna, a German prisoner, was affected too. Later on in the book she tells Rose about the mass rape in Germany after (and during) the end of the war, an event that I don’t usually find mentioned in historical fiction. I loved Róza because even though she was childish and had temper tantrums, if I was in Rose’s position, I would want a friend like Róza.

Despite the fact that I adore romance books, I am very pleased that both Elizabeth Wein’s books are not focused on it. It’s nice not to read about if the girl gets the boy, but rather about strong young women overcoming war.

So go on and read some Elizabeth Wein! *Tissues not included with this review.


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Ghost Hawk by Susan Cooper
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the fifth book I read which has been shortlisted for the Carnegie award 2014. I think I want this one to win.

I personally felt that Susan Cooper’s ‘Ghost Hawk’ was very insightful in the tribes of the indigenous Americans, and I greatly enjoyed learning a lot about this in the book. I found the concept and fantasy element to be very intriguing and I was hooked as I read that part of the book. With believable and honest characters and a fast-paced plot, ‘Ghost Hawk’ is surely a winner.


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Geek Girl by Holly Smale
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Harriet Manners is a 15 year old geek who is unexpectedly scouted for a modelling agency. ‘Geek Girl’ was very funny and a very quick read, however, I sometimes felt that sometimes it was a little too light.

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She Is Not Invisible by Marcus Sedgwick
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book about coincidence. Coincidentally, I went to Hay-On-Wye literary festival, and met the author and bought this book. (Actually, I’m not really sure if that was a coincidence since the trip was planned…) Anyways this book certainly got me addicted. I went to the campsite, and read it for the majority of the afternoon in my tent (when there is rain in Wales, you read.) Then, I came home, and finished the final few chapters. Then, it dawned on me. I really, really loved this book.

I’ve not really been very interested in coincidence. It happens to me, and I say ‘wow’ and I’ll be amazed for a little while, and then forget it ever happened by tea-time. Deja-vu however, has the ability to freaks me out more than coincidence, and I find a Deja-vu incident a lot harder to explain to other people. However, I felt that ‘She Is Not Invisible’, dealt with this aspect really well and explored coincidences and chance in a very clever way. I liked how the number 354 cropped up a few times, and the book itself was full of coincidences, the last page of the book is 354.

I loved Laureth, the main character. She was such a strong young woman, it’s her choice to go across the Atlantic to try and find her father, she’s strong-willed and really cares about the people that she loves. She trekked across New York with only a seven year old brother and a stuffed raven named Stan. And Laureth is blind. She does not let her disability to stop her. She was an excellent character, definitely a role model, and I applaud Marcus Sedgwick for giving me a small insight about what it is like to be a blind teenager.

This book is refreshingly different from his Gothic historical novels, it was less serious. I loved that aspect, I found that there were many humorous points, such as Benjamin’s conversations with his stuffed raven toy. However, this didn’t stop the serious and clever points of the book such as Laureth and Benjamin’s father’s Black Book.

Marcus Sedgwick is one of the best YA authors out there. It is such a shame he is so underrated, as each one of his books I have read have been a gem.


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Blood Family by Anne Fine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Eddie is rescued from an abusive home from a young age. Anne Fine’s Blood Family discusses the Nature Vs Nurture debate.

I really enjoyed this book. I personally felt that Eddie and Alice were the best characters in the book. Eddie was relatable (and you just wanted to give him a hug), while Alice seemed to be the sensible one, and I loved her for always trying to help Eddie and Lucy. I really liked the split narrative, I thought it really gave dimension to this story, and the different voices were done quite well. However, Fine’s writing in this book was somewhat lacking. I struggled to imagine what Eddie looked like. There was literally no description of him whatsoever. I tried to picture him as an older version of the boy on the front cover with curly blond hair, blue eyes and, for some reason, plaid shirts. However, this image of a quite a cute yet studious boy jarred awfully with the fact that he looked like Harris. Come to think of it, I barely knew what Harris looked like. I felt a little odd after reading this as I couldn’t really picture the main character.

Despite the writing being somewhat lacking, I really enjoyed this book and I read it in one day. I would recommend it.


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Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Perhaps reading a Christmas book in the middle of May wasn’t such a good idea… but it was on offer in the Works, what can you do? This book was a speedy read and I thought these two writers wrote well together, but…

The characters in this book were pretty annoying. First we had Dash who was very pretentious and quite annoying. Although, I did find Lily more annoying, with her naivety and her childishness.

I also got pretty annoyed with an undertone of ‘book superiority’. I believe every book has some worth, and in this book, both characters tossed both romances and YA books aside and they both felt that these classics were better. Fair enough, although it was somewhat paradoxical as this book is a YA novel.


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Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I’m in the mood for anything quick, delightful, realistic and fun, I go for Sarah Dessen. Her writing is like milk chocolate digestive biscuits (my go to snack food). After the brilliant ‘Along for the Ride’, I sought out, ‘Just Listen’. This book is a true gem. The characters are believable, and unlike other Dessen books I’ve read there was this suspense of what happened last summer. I found Annabel surprisingly relate-able for the ‘girl who has it all’ (guess what? She doesn’t!) However, I think the hero of the show had to be Owen. With his obscure music taste and his honest, and sometimes angry, personality – he was perfectly lovable. I would probably recommend this to anyone, it was a perfect break from my revision and I really enjoyed it.

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All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Gardner Berry
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

When you write a really long review then lose it:



The rewritten version!!!

‘All the Truth that’s in me’ is about a young woman named Judith. Four years ago, she went missing with her best friend. Two years ago she came back with half a tongue, and her best friend was dead.

Sounds like a contemporary, yes? The photographed tree on the cover, the modern coral typography all seem to point towards a contemporary novel. But no, ‘All the Truth that’s in me’ is a historical novel and (I think), set in the newly discovered lands of America. This was where the confusion all began for me. It was definitely this kind of feeling:



I definitely have mixed feelings about this book. I found the first part confusing, disjointed and I didn’t like the main character, Judith. However, from about 150 pages on I really enjoyed it. Judith became a more likable character, and I got used to the disjointed style. It even was less confusing. This gif sums it all up:



The Not-so-good first half

This part of the novel is pretty disjointed, the paragraph short chapters lent themselves to that. Also, Judith’s story flipped from before she was captured, to being captured, to now and the time switches were pretty hard to keep up with.

Judith

I really didn’t like this girl in the beginning. Why? You ask. Her constant addresses to ‘you’, (which sometimes read as Darrel) were to Lucas. I didn’t have a feeling that I really knew Lucas so this felt at best desperation and at worse stalker-like behaviour.

A bit like this:



But in the second half, she became her own self. She was more confident and had more courage. I even liked her relationship with Lucas more, as I felt I got to know his character better.

The Fabulous Second half

This was the real gem of the book. Here, the plot and the writing ran seamlessly together. The plot became fast-paced, and really enjoyable. As said before, Judith was a much better character towards the end. Despite the mystery of the book having a bit of an obvious ending, I felt the cutesy ‘NOW’ bit was a really nice way to end.

It was this at the end:






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The Bunker Diary by Kevin Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Linus is a 16 year old living on the streets when he is kidnapped. Put in a bunker with six others, they hope for a way out.

I enjoyed this book, as I usually do with quite ‘gritty’ reads, and I found Linus’ voice intriguing. I liked the mystery of the bunker, and the mystery of the kidnapper. However, despite my love for the plot and Linus, I don’t think the ending was constructed very well. I don’t cope well with endings that just leave me hanging. There was no hope, nor answers.

I enjoyed this Lord of the Flies-esque story, but for me, the ending was bleak and fell flat.


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Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I picked up this book I didn’t expect anything. I didn’t expect a story so real and genuine that it’d swallow me down. Neither did I expect a boy with a voice honest that I now believe that there is a twelve year old living in Brooklyn named Georges.
Liar and Spy is a book about Georges who is quite an average twelve year old, although, he has just moved into a new apartment. In that apartment he meets Safer – another twelve-year old who is a self appointed spy. Together they spy on the elusive Mr X. But as cracks start appearing on the surface; is Safer a real friend or is it just a tangle of lies?

Being a ‘Carnegie connoisseur’ (I jest!), I’ve noticed a pattern. Each year I have participated in this award, the Carnegie would usually have mostly older teenage books and then one or two books aimed at twelve and younger. Usually I disliked or didn’t read those, as I found with ‘The Death-Defying Pepper Roux’, (Carnegie nominee 2011), I found it a bit ‘meh’. But, thankfully, not with Liar & Spy. Rebecca Stead’s book is brilliant for all ages, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I love the real sense of mystery in this book, as many questions are slowly answered throughout the course of the novel. I suppose this is what really enchanted me; a book which is set mostly in one square mile in Brooklyn that had so much mystery and so much appeal. Even the spy undertones had quite a magical vibe. I thought Stead’s writing was very realistic and I especially loved being in Georges head – the thoughts and conversations he had were so engrossing.

This book is a definite 5/5 for me. So grab a copy and read ‘Liar & Spy!’


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Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Do you like dragons? Yes I like dragons!
Do you like super awesome realistic fantasy worlds? Yes! Bring it on!
Do you like mysteries? Yeah I like mysteries!
Do you like political intrigue? Yeah I like political intrigue!
Do you like some romance? Yeah I like some romance!
Do you like really beautiful descriptions? Yeah I like really beautiful descriptions!
Do you like a fast-paced plot? Yeah I like fast-paced plots!

If yes to all above, you will LOVE Seraphina.



By Lucy who was far too lazy to write a proper review.


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Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

So, Lucy, what’s you’re opinion on this book?... ‘Ngh nghg nghg’ I groan. I do admit, I either sound like a five year old or an aged cat or a monster. But this is how I feel about ‘Clockwork Angel,’ – it’s just so ‘meh’ (or ‘ngh ngh’).

The ‘Clockwork Angel,’ was pleasingly a lot better than TMI (which, by book 3, I struggled to finish). Its plot was pleasingly fast-paced, the characters slightly more likeable and the Victorian London world an interesting concept.

BUT OTHERWISE. No. I didn’t hate this book; I just have a strong disregard for it.

Reason 1 (of many reasons)

The world. It’s a brilliant concept. A fantastic concept. THE BEST CONCEPT. But alas, it didn’t work very well, despite the brilliant idea of a Steampunk Victorian England, it didn’t work. Most of the language felt very modern, and there was little description that made you really fall into the world. I think perhaps Ms Clare could follow Linda Newberry’s style, (Set in Stone), whose work reads and feels very Victorian–like. I really hoped ‘Clockwork Angel’ would read different from TMI series, so that Ms Clare could have a chance to show us that she knew how to write books in different styles.

This brings us on to reason 1’s sub-point. Accents.

Accents well written excite me like a child waiting for Christmas. Britain has a lot of accents. You’ve got Welsh, Cockney, Cornish, Scottish, Brummie, Yorkshire and many more. Especially in a place like London you’ll get so many accents everywhere. So why didn’t Clare use this to her advantage? She described accents, but she didn’t incorporate much of this into their speech. Another opportunity lost! IIf Will is Welsh (he is Welsh, right?), yet he speaks in Proper English. WHYYYY.

Reason Number Two - Characters

Will. Is that guy meant to be attractive?



He’s a git. Seriously, one minute he’s fawning over Tessa – next minute he ‘offers’ that they can ‘use her room’. Steady on mate! I just found the ‘I’m such a cad, but underneath I’m loveable’ character a bit used.

Tessa. She cried. She screamed. She looked blankly. Etcetera. I just found her a bit dull, a bit annoying.


Jessamine = a Shame. She could've been a really good character, if she wasn't a jealous bitch.

However, I really did like the character of Jem. HE WAS A REAL GENTLEMAN! I liked his backstory, his personality. He was ‘the boy next door’, but however he’s probably going to get completely disregarded in the love triangle for this very reason.

Reason Number Three (the final reason).

Love Triangles are boring. I really don’t need to go into this one, do I?

I did like reading this book, I found the plot to be generally quite good, and it was something I needed at the time, light with a lot of adventure.


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Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

‘Etiquette and Espionage’ is a fun story about a young Victorian girl sent away to finishing school. Except, this school flies. Its teachers include vampires and werewolves. And, you learn how to spy sufficiently.

I really enjoyed this novel; it was fun, light and interesting. It wasn’t blow my mind amazing but it was a nice read. Would recommend


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Ask The Passengers by A.S. King
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a small barrage of ‘I love A.S. King’s books!’ filled up booktube, I decided to acquaint myself with this author on a well-informed whim. And here’s the verdict: I loved it.

I did get mad at this book, or rather at certain people in this book. It kinda made me realise sometimes I hate humanity. I don’t want to spend this book post ranting but, I’ll say two things. One. Equality is obvious – a la Astrid Jones. Two. Love has no limits.

Moving on, I found this book to be amazingly relatable. Even though I’m not in Astrid’s situation, I found her confusion relatable, and I found that she had a very relatable voice. I really liked how A.S. King wrote her, and I loved A.S. King’s writing because it felt so realistic.

I also loved the magical realism. YAY magical realism. I did think in other books it has been done better, but I liked the idea that Astrid was sending the passengers her love.
I really liked this book but I wasn’t running round the house shoving it into people’s hands saying ‘read it’ ‘read it’. I’ll definitely look into ‘Everybody sees the ants’ that one’s meant to be ‘the one’!


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Bunheads by Sophie Flack
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have always wanted to be a ballerina. Actually, that’s a complete lie. When I was five, after much persuasion, my mum took me to a local ballet class for 5-8 year olds. Nevertheless, I sat in the car and I wouldn’t budge. So my possibly successful career went out like a light. (I joke; I can barely keep my focus on school, never mind dancing.)
I have always admired ballet, and this January I went to see Swan Lake – a truly magnificent experience. I picked up this book as it is about a girl who has to make a choice, ballet or real life, and after watching dozens of ballet documentaries on YouTube, I read it.

Hannah is 19 years old, and has barely stepped out side of the Manhattan Ballet Company theatre in five years. However, after a serendipitous meeting with college student Jacob, she begins to question her life choice.

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the feeling that for the majority of the book we were behind the ‘closed doors’ of the theatre – the stuff that the audience doesn’t see. I liked Hannah as a character, I found her very relatable, and although she was pretty selfish and confused. She was a normal teenage girl. I found the tensions in the dressing room to be fascinating, all the secret bitchy-ness that went on behind closed doors.

I personally really liked the relationship in this book. Yes, it was a love triangle – something which I usually hate- but I could see why the two guys found Hannah attractive both for different reasons. I found Matt insufferable but Jacob was a favourite. Certainly he’s one of the best ‘book boys’ I’ve read recently. He isn’t a ‘nothing’ character, he has character. Both Hannah and Jacob ignore each other and have arguments, well done Ms Flack I found this pleasantly realistic. I really appreciated that Jacob cared for Hannah, not like some slimy ‘perfect’ boys you read about.

I would definitely give Bunheads a read, I loved it, and it was light and easy to read but I liked Ms Flack’s characterisation in the novel.



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The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I don’t know what to say. I’ve been sitting still for about half an hour wondering what to write. The Little Prince is a breath of fresh air. It is a beautiful fable told with such prowess and imagination, I was amazed. With its extremely poignant end and moral allegory, I’m stunned. All I can say is: Read it. It does not matter if you’re a child or not, just read it. It is easily one of the most thought provoking books I’ve read this year. Leave this page now and find a copy.

A final note, I don’t think I ever want to forget I was a child.


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Pirates! by Celia Rees
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Nancy is a merchant’s daughter, who thinks she’s destined for a life controlled by people. However, after a ridiculous amount of curious events, she becomes a pirate with her best friend, who happens to be a run away slave.

I had previously read another of Celia Rees’ books; This is Not Forgiveness, which I quite enjoyed. However I cannot say the same for Pirates! This was a boring and frustrating read. Throughout the book, the plot seems silly, romanticised and melodramatic. I thought it was odd that all of the pirates were in essence, ‘good guys’, and I thought the plot line with The Brazilian lacked tension. Personally, the two main characters, Nancy and Minerva weren’t particularly compelling.

On the other hand, it’s not all bad. I liked the writing style, and I thought initially the beginning was quite good. But, I would give this book a miss.


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I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is Cassandra Mortmain’s diary, where for one summer she writes down the drama of family life and first love. Living in a crumbling castle in the 1930s, this book truly captures the essence of being a seventeen year old.

As I read this book, I swear I could smell the scent of the British summer. As I turned the pages, I was sure I could smell meadowsweet and fresh strawberries and cream. This was a beautiful book; however, I thought it missed a little ‘spark’ of something.


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Game of thrones: Top Five Characters

Hello! Had a good week? 

Right, anyone familiar with this? Game of Thrones, or as known to readers of the series as 'A Song of Ice and Fire' is one of my favourite series of all time.With a cast so complex and huge it's easy to have favourites, yet harder to choose! .Today I'd like to share my top five characters from the series, so hear it goes...

Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

You’re a fairytale retelling. You’re not meant to be dull.

This is a retelling of 'Little Red Riding Hood', with a love story.

In an effort to break up my reading of ‘Parade’s End’, I picked this book up. Light, I thought. Fluffy, I thought. With a few bad-ass werewolf-killing main characters. Awesome, I thought. HOW COULD I BE SO WRONG?

Why I did not like this book.

Number 1) The plot, summed up in a paragraph on the blurb, is painful. Painfully dragged out, painfully guessable. And very, very irritating. I knew what was going on by chapter 1. CHAPTER 1. This is not meant to happen. I shouldn’t know the entire plot by chapter 1!

Number 2) Really, really boring characters. ‘Nuff said.

Number 3) I felt the world struggled to ‘gel’ with the fantasy world and the modern day world. It felt unrealistic and unnatural.

Number 4) The romance felt forced and clichéd.

I’m finished. I think I have.



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My 5 worst books ever

It's sad, yet inevitable - we're all going to to have books we detest. So in an effort for you to know my reading tastes better I posted my favourite books last week and now a return with my least favourite books. Unlike the previous list, this is in order. 

Top Ten Books and Series

 Hello everyone, happy Wednesday! (This is a thing.)

Here's my top ten series and books, as I don't read enough series to condone a top ten series list. They aren't ordered they are simply the books which I think are the best.

1. A Song Of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin

Possibly one of the best  series I have ever read. Mr Martin introduces us to a complex world with compelling, unforgettable characters. Twists, turns, extremely well written characters and character death scenes are his forte.

2. Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling


Do I need to explain? Harry Potter was my childhood and with it's crazily imaginative world and engrossing characters it will remain one of my favourite series of all time.

3.Out of the Easy by Ruta Sepetys

I read this last year, and was blown away by the depth of this YA historical fiction novel. It's set in the 1950s in New Orleans.Josie is trying to break away from being known as the prostitute's daughter and she wishes to go to college. However, the French Quarter isn't safe with death and gangsters lurking around the corner.

4.Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Nominated for the Carnegie medal. This book is a strong work, about the strength of friendship. It's a historical novel that I couldn't stop thinking about for days. I can't wait to get my hands on 'Rose Under Fire'!

5.Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Funny, romantic complete with beautiful writing this classic is a classic. It is surprisingly hilarious, and the characters are really relate able. A classic Classic!

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Jacob Jankowski is a young college student. When his parents suddenly die, he leaves his Ivy-League college for the circus. There he meets Marlena, the star of the equestrian act, and her husband August. He becomes circus vet, and cares for the new elephant Rosie, as his feelings for Marlena deepen.

I enjoyed reading this one. I liked the fast paced nature of the novel, and I loved the era it was set in. I finished it in one day, and I was really engrossed. I was never bored throughout reading the book. I liked the contrast between old Jacob and young Jacob. However, there’s going to be a ‘but’.

But, I felt that the characters were far too underdeveloped. The only really fleshed out character was Jacob. The so called ‘heroine’ was a walking signpost with the name ‘Marlena’ on it. She was so incredibly flat that it is no surprise that I felt Jacob’s relationship with her had no chemistry. I wish the romance hadn’t been there because I didn’t think it was handled that well. I also hoped that each character would’ve been many layered, interesting and colourful. This is a circus, for crying out loud.

I think another reason I didn’t love this book was because I wanted a book like HBO’s show ‘Carnivale’. This show (sadly cancelled,) mostly relied on character development and magical realism. Therefore the entire cast was layered and rich. No Mary-Sues there. I really missed a magical element from ‘Water for Elephants’, as I think magic and circuses go hand in hand.

I might still watch the film, as it has got one of my favourite actors in it, (Christoph Waltz.) If you haven’t seen the show (Carnivale) I would highly recommend it, but maybe give ‘Water for Elephants’ a miss.



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Hello. An Introduction

   

Welcome to 'Soup Dragon Novels'!

I am Lucy, lover of books. More specifically, YA, classics, adult literature...well, anything really. 

I also love TV shows like Game of Thrones and Battlestar Gallatica. 

Since the name of this blog is 'Soup Dragon Novels' I did watch The Clangers as a child. I did love them despite only watching a few episodes.

I am a massive fan of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings (Even though I've only read Fellowship), and HBO's Carnivale (sadly canceled.) I also love Doctor Who and Sherlock.

Have fun reading my blog, and a happy new year!

- Lucy x.