As you know, I have been slowly tackling the Witches sub-series within the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett. I have one more to go (Carpe Jugulum) and then I am done. Unless I want to go onto the Tiffany Aching series where Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg pop up (and oh, it is so tempting! I do miss them!)
So, when I was emailed by the lovely Bee from Kaaleidoscopic Tours about Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch, I knew I had to be involved. I’m actually a little surprised at how quickly I replied and went “Yes! This! This sounds perfect!”. And yes, it does clash with my NetGalley November, I know, but I feel that this would be a lovely way to ease self into the world of the Free Wee Men and the Chalk.
Title and Author: Tiffany Aching’s Guide to Being a Witch by Rhianna Pratchett and Gabrielle Kent, & Illustrated by Paul Kidby
Publisher: Puffin
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by Kaleidoscopic Tours as part of review-based blog tour. Gifted in exchange for an honest review/reaction
Ever wanted to be witch (haven’t we all?)? Even wanted to be a witch in the Discworld? Well, this guide will help you in the right direction. Written by Tiffany Aching (who first appeared in The Wee Free Men and her final outing was in Sir Terry Pratchett’s final Discworld novel, The Shepherd’s Crown) and with “helpful” footnotes from Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg, Mrs Tick and the Wee Free Man known as Rob Anybody, this will give helpful information about magic, headology, bees, magic cheese, Death, sheep and everything in between.
Another day, another blog tour review. And this is so up my street that as soon as Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours emailed about this title, I instantly emailed back and went "PLEASE LET ME BE INVOLVED! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!"
And here we are!
Title and Author: Tales from Beyond the Rainbow by Pete Jordi Wood
Publisher: Puffin
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by UK publisher and PR Blog Tour Company, Kaleidoscopic, in exchange for an honest review/reaction for blog tour.
There are fairy tales and folklore that time has forgotten or concealed in one form or another. This could be for a number of reasons. They became out of fashion. The morale of the story doesn't fit with the changing world. Or because the stories in question tackle the issue of gender and sexual identity, and all end (mostly) with happy ever afters.
In this collection of short fairy tales and folklore from around the world (ranging from Germany, Russia, China, Taiwan, Cape Verde, Canada and other corners of the world), Pete Jordi Wood has collected and adapted them, each illustrated by an artist who shares heritage with he culture of where the stories have come from.
HERE WE ARE! The last day of the Midnighters tour and I have a delicious extract to share with you guys!
Ema has always felt different. Her family are filled with famous scientists, so there's not much room for omens and superstitions, even though they follow Ema wherever she goes. Nor does it help that she appears to predict events before they happen or has a peculiar fear of shadows...
So when Ema is sent to live with her uncle in Prague, she fears that she'll never fit in. Then she meets Silvie, a girl who sees Ema and soon, the two are having midnight adventures and facing Emma's fears together.
Then Silvie vanishes...
As you know, I'm in a bit of a reading slump, but this book sounds delightfully weird for me to pass up! I am excited to sink my teeth into this world that Hana Tooke has created (and with lush illustrations by Ayesha L. Rubio)!
Now, before I give you the tiny sneak peek of the prologue, I just wanted to thank Bee from Kaleidoscopic Tours for inviting me to tag along and being very kind to gifting me a copy of The Midnighters. And, if you want to check out Hana online, you can visit hanatooke.com or you can tweet her at @hannekewrites!
Title And Author: Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident by Eoin Colfer
Publisher: Puffin
Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Borrowed from local library by BorrowBox
Length: 306 Pages or 6 Hours 48 Minutes
I read this YEARS ago when the book was first published in hardback with its super-shiny foiled dustjacket. Now, I only read the first three books (I never carried on for some reason. Maybe it was the first cover change when book 4 was first published or maybe I thought book 3 - The Eternity Code - ended in a good place) but with Disney releasingtheir movie version Artemis Fowl on Disney+ (this was meant to be released in cinemas but with COVID-19 situation, Disney decided to move this to their streaming services and push back release dates for other releases; their live action Mulan and Marvel’s Black Widow), I felt the urge to reread or grab my hands on the audiobook. So, yes, REREAD TIME!!!
So, The Arctic Incident. After the whole hostage situation of last year, faerie Holly Short of course thinks child genius and criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl is behind the recent goblin gangs planning an uprising. But, for once, Artemis is innocent (hard to believe, I know!) and he has bigger fish to fry: his missing father is being held for ransom by Russian Mafia and he needs to be saved. So, Artemis needs to clear his name, save his father and figure out what’s going on with the People…
Sorry for my lack of write-up for my Believathon as the book I’m read (North Child by Edith Pattou) is taking a lot longer to read that I was expecting (meaning I’m not going to read the readathon’s group read - Frostheart by Jamie Littler - in time. Might try and read it over the Christmas Blog Break!). Plus, with Nanowrimo taking my time on the typing front and me listening to audiobooks that don’t really fit Believathon (so I’m putting those reviews/write-up’s up in December), I’ve kinda got myself a bit of a blog dip.
So, SURPRISE! I have one big blog post over two The Worst Witch books! I have The Worst Witch All At Sea (the fourth in the series) and The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star (the seventh in the series).
Hang on a moment. I need to put those blasted affiliate links up (do you use them? I’m curious on whether to keep them or only use one or two instead of four)
Title And Author: The Worst Witch All at Sea and The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star by Jill Murphy
Publisher: Puffin
Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Audiobook
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Borrowed from local library via BorrowBox
Length: 224 Pages for Worst Witch All at Sea, 208 Pages for Worst Witch and the Wishing Star or2 Hours and 5/9 Minutes
So, with that out of the way (do those links make sense? I hope so!), let me do a quick write-up on each.
In The Worst Witch All at Sea, Mildred Hubble and her classmates have been given a special treat: a week by the seaside. But Mildred is upset over her cat, Tabby, behind left behind, so she sneaks him with her. And with that, trouble follows.
In The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star, Mildred makes a wish on a shooting star and, to her surprise, it comes true! A dog is waiting for her, but how is she going to keep him - Star - a secret from everyone, especially the formidable Miss Hardbroom? And with the school entering a contest to win an indoor swimming pool, you know trouble is going to come when disaster-prone Mildred is about…
Title And Author: Mistletoe and Murder by Robin Stevens
Publisher: Puffin
Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
Length: 383 Pages
T'was the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, because a murder was announced…
I’ve been meaning to return to the Murder Most Unladylike series for ages! So, when a few months back, I saw the short story of The Mystery of the Missing Treasure at my local Waterstones, I bought that, read it and went “Ok, I have to return now.” and, rather than start at the first mystery and work my way through, I know I wanted to return into this world with either Mistletoe and Murder or Spoonful of Murder, the fifth and the sixth instalments in the series. And with Christmas a few weeks away, I knew it was going to be this one that would win…
In case you haven’t followed the Pewter Wolf for a while, I tend to do this a lot with series. I’m not 100% sure why I do this but ha-ho!
Arriving in Cambridge to celebrate Christmas 1935 in style, Daisy Wells and Hazel Wong are hoping for snowy Christmas with Daisy’s brother and, to everyone expect Daisy’s hopes, this will be a quiet Christmas.
Expect it’s not. Danger lurks within the halls of Maudlin College for an tragic accident happens. But it’s an accident, a prank gone horribly wrong… right? Daisy and Hazel aren’t so sure so they call on all their Detective Society skills to find the truth. But with a rival agency looking into the accident as well, they have to solve the case quickly. Was it an accident? Was it murder? And can they solve the case before Christmas Day?
Title And Author: The Case of the Missing Treasure by Robin Stevens
Publisher: Puffin
Physical, eBook or Audiobook: Physical
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
Length: 148 Pages
For the past few months, I’ve been itching to get back into the Murder Most Unladylike series. I have no real reason why - I read Arsenic For Tea - the second book in the series - back in 2015 and I read a Mini-Mystery, The Case of the Blue Violet, in 2016. And I always said that these were fun and I wanted to go back.
But for one excuse or another, I never did return and, when I tried, I couldn’t find my “in”. I tried with the fourth book in the series - Jolly Foul Play - and struggled and I didn’t want to read the starter in the series. Plus, for some reason, the later novels appealed to me, with the fifth - Mistletoe and Murder - catching my eye. I’m sorry, but murder at Christmas. Doesn’t that gripping?
So, when I went into my local Waterstones to have a look, I saw The Case of the Missing Treasure and jumped straight on it. At last, a fast “in” for me. Plus, it’s a Waterstones exclusive (for now - most booksellers will be able to sell this in match 2019) so, at the present moment in time, you have to go to your local bookshop and buy it! HAHA!
After the events of A Spoonful of Murder, Daisy and Hazel are back in London, staying at Daisy’s Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy. One morning, they hear a news article, saying that a thief is robbing museums all over London. On Daisy’s birthday, Uncle Felix sets up a treasure hunt for her, Hazel and friends/rivals, the Junior Pinkertons, the four find themselves in the British Museum, trying to solve clues that Uncle Felix and Aunt Lucy have left. Expect… one of the clues they find isn’t from Uncle Felix or Aunt Lucy. One clue is from the thief and they are going to rob the British Museum that night!
Title And Author: The Snowman by Michael Morpurgo (Inspired by the classic by Raymond Briggs
Publisher: Puffin
Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Gifted by publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an Honest Review
Length: 160 Pages
Andrew, we are in September. Why on earth are you reading a Christmas novella? And a retelling of a well known Christmas classic? have you COMPLETELY lost the plot?
I am imagining you are all thinking this. Don’t say you’re not. I love Christmas. I love Bonfire Night and Halloween (well… in theory, I love Halloween. I love all the myths and legends on Halloween. In pratice… no. I hate it. I will be the one sitting the dark of my house, pretending that no one is home… but that’s a blog post for another day). So, when I saw this on NetGalley, I thought it would be a fun little read for me. A nice break from Time Convert, my current adult read (which I an enjoying, but it’s so weird reading this book when, the other books In the series, I have audiobooked…). Plus, I was curious on how Michael Morpurgo was going to write this, how he was going to tackle this classic. Tackle it head-on, or go into it from a slight angle…
When James wakes early on Christmas Eve to discover it had snowed overnight, he’s so excited that he goes out and builds a snowman. He spends all day building him and showing him off to his parents and his grandma, who is staying over Christmas. When he goes to bed that night, waiting for Father Christmas, he wonders about his snowman and, when he looks out of the window, he discovers that his snowman has come to life…
This might be my last book review of this year! Might be! That's the words of importance in this first paragraph. And look! It comes under a different banner - this will be explained in my New Year's Resolutions in 2018 so keep your eyes peeled on that front.
Anyway, why did I want to read this book? Well, Disney is turning this into a movie and it stars Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling and Chris Pine (I'll pop the trailer or teaser trailer at the bottom of the post). And it's just sounds good! With this book being a huge thing in the USA (but not so much in the UK. Actually, it's really under the radar), I wanted to see what this book was all about.
Published in the 1960s, this middle grade story follows Meg who, one night, meets a stranger called Mrs Whatsit who mentions something that shakes her scientist mother up. When she, her younger brother Charles and their friend Calvin meet up with Mrs Whatsit and her two companions, Mrs Who and Mrs Which, the three travel through a "wrinkle" in time and space to rescue Meg's father...
Hmm... I'm not sure how I feel about this as I am very much in the middle on this. On the one hand, it was a good read. I sense my younger self would have read this much faster than I did and would click with the story and the situation better than my adult self.
BUT! But, I can't help but feel that this is Narnia but with science. Both are good stories for middle grade readers, but I have huge problems with children's books where religion is forced onto young readers. It makes me uncomfortable and I'm not sure on how other readers would feel about this...
But if you know readers who like Narnia but want to read something more sci-fi, this might be the book you should give. It might feel dated at times due to the writing (remember, was written in the 1960s) but I am still excited to see how the movie is going to update the story! It's going to be huge in the US, but outside of the states, we shall see...
I read Artemis Fowl years ago - actually, read the first three books in the series. And I really enjoyed them back in the day. But, for one reason or another, I never carried on after the third book - Artemis Fowl And The Eternity Code - in the series. I think there was a cover change or maybe I felt that it was the right place for me to stop.
But recently, over the past year, I have been wanting to going back and reread Artemis. Mainly the first 2 books - Artemis Fowl and Artemis Fowl and Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident - as I have warm feelings about them. Maybe if I get sucked into them again, I will reread Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code and want to carry on and read the rest of the series that I have missed out on. Plus, with Disney making a movie based on the first book (something I discovered back in the summer), I knew it was time...
But would it still stand up to my memory... I mean, this was firs published in UK in 2001 and a lot has changed. For example - that cover. I hate this cover! I much prefer the original - the shiny gold cover that, if anyone annoyed you, you can reflect light off it and use it as a weapon... if I can find it, will pop it down below somewhere!
Any, let's get past the cover and talk about the book, shall we?
Artemis Fowl the Second is a criminal genius and, at only twelve, is plotting his biggest money making scheme to date. If he's going to restore the family fortune, a bit of kidnapping will have to do.
But to kidnap a fairy?
When Artemis kidnaps Captain Holly Short of the LEP (Lower Elements Police), he doesn't realise that the world he's about to discover has highly armed, highly dangerous and extremely high-tech - fairies that will fight back.
Artemis Fowl might have underestimated them and, in the process, could trigger a cross-species war...
I couldn't help smiling while reread this. I forgot so much detail and yet, remember the basic plotline so I flew through. It was fun, and that's why rereads are a good thing to us readers/bloggers.
I think if I discovered this when I was 12, I would have devoured this series. This could have been my Harry Potter if I was 12 when this first came out. But I was in my late teens when this came, hence maybe one of the many reasons I didn't carry on with this series.
There is one or two things that niggle at me (the timeline in the first few chapters are off - Artemis seems to take place over a series of weeks/months whereas Holly takes place over a night, but there is no telling them apart due to how the scenes are written). Plus, I think it could have a few extra pages due to some pacing.
But, this was fun and I loved returning to this world. I am very much looking forward to read Artemis Fowl and the Arctic Incident in the coming few months (soon!) and, hopefully, this will spur me on to read the rest of the series.
I decided (No idea why! Maybe I thought I would be easy to do this. We shall see...) to put these two books together in one review! Both are picture books (which is rare for me to talk about on my blog, I know!) and both are perfect to be read by parents to children and together.
The first is The Fox Wish by Kimiko Aman and illustrated by Komako Sakai, and the second is The Giant Jumperee by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Helen Oxenbury.
In The Fox Wish, we follow a sister and brother who go back to the park to find their jump rope. Only to find a group of fox cubs playing with it and believing it to be the answer to their wish. And in The Giant Jumperee, Rabbit comes home to find a loud voice in his burrow. When his friends (Cat, Bear and Elephant) come to help, they each get scared by the loud voice. But who is the Giant Jumperee?
Both, in my opinion, are wonderful stories to read to little ones, each with a gentle charm to them.
While both do have a charm, there is something on each you need to be aware. While picture books are often glossy in their illustrations, The Fox Wish doesn't have that. It's more ink-stamped and watery in tone compared to other picture books and, with The Giant Jumperee, there were moments when reading it felt a little too close to The Gruffalo in tone (yes, I know both are written by the same author but if your child knows The Gruffalo, they might spot how similar they are. Plus, nothing Julia writes really beats the Gruffalo. Although, What the Ladybird Heard does come close...)
But barring this, both are lovely reads to read to your little ones at bedtime...
Yes, I know what you are all thinking. I audiobooked this?! What about the illustrations by Quentin Blake? I thought you said you wanted to read this. And I did - I still do - but when I was asked if I wanted to audiobook this, I jumped at it for several reasons. One of them was Helen Mirren - I love her voice. Another was curiosity. How could this be under an hour? Surely the story would be 15/20 minutes, max? And what would it be like to listen to an Beatrix Potter instead of reading it?
But Quentin Blake's illustrations did play a factor. From what I have seen of his illustrations linked to this book, I was very put off. They didn't feel right with Beatrix Potter. With Roald Dalh, yes. Completely. But not with a Beatrix Potter. The illustrations used in her other books felt more in keeping, but these felt very out of place and out of time. You could tell these were modern drawings and they didn't fit, in my opinion, with the time when the story was written and set.
But enough about that. Let's talk Kitty-In-Boots.
The Tale of Kitty-In-Boots follows a black cat who leads a leads a double life. By day, she stays home with her owner. But at night, she goes out with her boots and her gun and goes hunting. But this tale follows her one night when she gets into all sorts of scrapes, meet some old friends and comes up against the fox hunter known as Mr Tod...
OK... I am going to say that I have listened to this story a few things (it's around 17 minutes long so a good cycle ride to work in the morning for me), and I can't figure out how I feel about it.
It's a good little story. And you can tell it's a Beatrix Potter.
But - yes, there's that word I always like using while writing blog posts - it feels off. It feels like a Beatrix Potter and doesn't at the same time. It feels unpolished and, from what I have researched, Beatrix started this and have every intention to finish but this was interrupted by World War One and personal events happened (marriage and health).
So, in some ways, this feels like a first or second draft, and we have no idea if she ever showed this to her publishers and their reactions. It's not polished to the usual Beatrix Potter standard.
Another small issue is the audiobook. Now, I have nothing bad to say about Helen Mirren and her reading (maybe a tad too dramatic at times, but why not? She's Helen flipping Mirren)! But it's a little odd to listen to Helen Mirren, the story ends and we have Anna Friel (another wonderful actor) reading the other four stories in this audiobook (The Tale of Peter Rabbit, The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck, The Tale of Squirrel Nutkins, The Tale of Mrs Tiggy-Wingle and The Tale of Jeremy Fisher). I get that Anna has read them a few years ago and putting the stories together make something special, but it's just odd and jarring to have two narrators.
This is a weird one. I think this will fit perfectly within the Beatrix Potter brand, but it's just feels a little off somehow.
Last year, I read my first Rick Riordan novel, The Lost Hero (not read my review? Here you go!) and I said I would read the first book in the Percy Jackson series before I dare return to the Heroes of Olympus. Well... I lied. Not on purpose as I read The Son Of Neptune because the mood took me to my kindle and this title called to me. I know some of you Percy Jackson fans will try and hunt me down because HOW DARE I! But... please, I am planning to read the series, I am. Not sure when but I am planning to...
So now we have that out of the way, let's talk. Around 8 months after The Lost Hero, Percy Jackson finds himself running from gorgons that refuse to die. He has no memory bar one - Annabeth. But before long, he finds himself in the safety of Camp Jupiter, camp of Roman demigods, and friends with Frank and Hazel. And then, we discover the Prophecy of Seven and, would you believe it, but Percy, Hazel and Frank must go to Alaska, rescue Death and return to Camp Jupiter in several days or everyone at Camp Jupiter will die...
No pressure! No pressure at all when the enemy is Gaia - aka MOTHER EARTH!
Before I go any further, I want to talk about the UK cover. I LOATHE the UK cover. I'm sorry if you like it/love it, but no. It just makes me a little furious at I'm not sure why. I much prefer the US cover (see below). But, weirdly, saying that, I much prefer the UK cover to Mark of Athena, the third book in the series, compared to the US cover.
*takes deep breath* Right. Now I have that out of the way...
I really liked this book. It was fast pace, fun and slightly addictive read. Very much likehow I was when I read The Lost Hero. Plus, it was cool for me as this was the first time I met/read Percy. And I enjoyed him. I get why you PJ fans LOVE him. But I do think I need to backtrack and read the books in the Percy Jackson series to fully understand your love for him.
It was interesting, seeing as how in The Lost Hero (and in the Percy Jackson series), we have been at Camp Half-Blood and dealing with the ins-and-outs of Greek mythology and now, we are attacking Roman mythology and seeing how the two camps have NEVER met (good job, by the way, Rick) and how the Gods from one camp affects the other camp (Again, good job). And we saw the differences with these camps, also. There were characters in Camp Jupiter which saw very Ancient Roman traits to them (the power-hungry, backstabbing, etc) which you won't see in Camp Half-Blood because they're not very Ancient Greek of them. We saw this in the character Octavian, a character WE ARE MEANT TO DISLIKE! And yeah... I did not like him...
I did have one problem with this book and I know I am going to get shouted at because of all you Percy fans but, here goes. As someone who hasn't read the previous Percy Jackson and has dived right, there were moments I just went "Wait! what?" in this book. I know this is linked to Percy's history and, if I have read the previous, I would get that. But I don't, and I can imagine some readers doing what I am doing and going "Wait! How does Nico know Percy?", "Wait. Why isn't Percy bowing to Mars?" or "And why doesn't Percy like lightening?". These are titbits to all you Percy Jackson fans out there, but if you haven't... you'll be scratching your head going "Huh?"
But I am enjoying this series. I am. I have Mark of Athena in my To-Read pile and I plan on reading it in the next few months (or next year so I read 3 Heroes of Olympus books is one quick-ish go!) so... yes... am going to try and read Mark of Athena soon (if not, Lightening Thief)!
Oh, for those of you wondering which Camp I belong to...
I think I would prefer to go to Camp Half-Blood, but I am going to be excited over how each of them (4 from Camp Half-Blood and 3 from Camp Jupiter) are going to get on... LET THE GAMES BEGIN!!!
REJOICE FANS OF PERCY JACKSON AND KANE CHRONICLES FANS! I know there's a few of you out there (and yes, I need to read these series. The Kane Chronicles is calling to me. I mean, EGYPTIAN GODS! I love Egyptian Gods - my fave was/is Osiris, God of the Afterlife, Underworld and of the Dead) so this eNovella makes these two worlds crash together.
Carter Kane is aware that something weird is happening. A rumour of a monster on Long Island. As he goes to investigate, not only does he meet the beast (and promptly get eaten by the beast), but he's saved by a boy called Percy. And... er... let's say they don't hit it off.
As I am a new fan to Rick Riordan, I really enjoyed this short story. I think some fans of these series will love this as this crossover has been wanted for... since the series existed (though I'm sure someone said there's a moment in the third and final book in the Kane Chronicles, The Serpent's Shadow, where there MIGHT have been a character or two from the Percy Jackson series...) but the characters ACTUALLY spoke to each other. And fought together... and at each other.
I think fans of the series will LOVE this (though it could be longer) and with hints that we haven't seen the last of these two characters meeting up... BRING IT ON! Now, I must actually read the Rick Riordan books I have on my Kindle...
You must think I'm a little weird, seeing as I've recently enjoy reading movie-related books. It's only been in the last few years that I've got into the "How is a movie made" (here are my reviews of Harry Potter: Page to Screen& The Art of the Avengers) and I have two more lurking in my stacks that I am SUPER excited to read as I ADORE THE MOVIES (am going to keep them secret but I have tweeted them so if you follow me on Twitter, you should know...)
Anyway, Beautiful Creatures: The Official Illustrated Movie Companion is basically what it says on the tin. This is the illustrated book, talking about how the movie (based on the novel by Kami Gracia and Margaret Stohl - and yes, I have read that and its sequel. Will be reading the third and fourth book in the series sometime this year!) was made. From design, make-up, editing and special effects. With quotes from both the authors, the director, the actors, and other people behind the screens.
And it was interesting. I am a geek to this side of movies so to read about how the authors felt when they walked onto site the first day and hearing from make-up and SFX team made the famous "Dining Room" and Casters Ball was interesting and fascinating.
Although, it was missing things. It missed how the actor who played Ethan, Alden Ehrenreich, got the role (the original actor couldn't get a visa for filming, if I remember) or how Alice Englert (Lena) actually refused the role a few times before accepting it. Or how the screenwriter decided what was going to be in the movie and what wouldn't. It's the little things, I know, but it would have been interesting to hear how/why this happened.
This is a fan book. If you are a fan of the Beautiful Creatures series or the movie, you are going to love this as this explains how the movie was created, this is gonna be perfect for you. If not, you might read this and find it a bit lacking.
Ok, I can talk about my reactions to the movie now as I saw it a few days ago (with my other half who I dragged and who had to watch me go "This movie!" while having an annoying couple whispering behind us and a couple several seats away eating VERY LOUD food). So, reactions: I am really surprised how much I enjoyed watching the movie. It was fun. It took the book and made a movie out of it. And you didn't have to have read the book before you watch the movie to get it. You could watch the movie without any knowledge and you would get what's going on. Things happened in the movie that didn't happen in the book and things happened in the book that wasn't in the movie, but these are two very different media. There are faults (the accents was one and a few things were a bit predictable), but it was fun and enjoyable. My opinion, but have you seen the movie? Do you agree or not? LET ME KNOW!!!
I randomly won an ARC from the US publisher of the Lunar Chronicles during their #ScarletFriday on Twitter (YEAH FOR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING AND FOR THE PUBLISHER BEING AWESOME TO READERS!). So, after bouncing up and down like a looney tune when I got it (in a scarlet padded envelope! I LOVE when publisher do tiny details like this! Just LOVE IT!), I jumped straight into it.
After the events of Cinder, Cinder is in prison and will soon be taken to Luna. But she can't let that happen. She has to escape. But if she does, she will the Commonweath's most wanted fugitive. But she has no choice. She has to escape...
In France, Scarlet's grandmother has vanished. And the Police have stopped looking for her. Scarlet decides to find her beloved grandmother herself. But as she starts searching for her, Scarlet begins to wonder how well she knew her grandmother. And when Scarlet discovers that her grandmother was kidnapped, she has to trust a street fighter called Wolf. But should she?
As Cinder and Scarlet's stories collide, the ruthless Luna Queen is more determined than even in her plans to rule both Luna and Earth. And she ups her game to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner...
Now, if you are aware from my previous review of Cinder (here's the review if you want it!), I wanted to read Scarlet first but was advise to read this to help with back story. And I am very glad I did. While you can easily jump straight into this as most of this book follows Scarlet, with Cinder's story popping up every now and again, it helped with the back story of Cinder. Of how she got into this situation, why the Queen Luna wants her dead and her story with Prince Kai (oh yes, fans of Kai, he has some chapters too. And there will be where you and every readers will scream "NO! DON'T DO IT!" at him).
I adore this book so, of course, my review is going to be bias. I love how, unlike Cinder where everything hits the fan at the fifth chapter, Scarlet hit the ground running. I love how the story moves at a shocking fast pace (compare to Cinder, this moves fast. Cinder took past over a course of weeks. Scarlet takes place in a matter of days). I love that the pacing never truly lacked or went slack. I love how the new characters were introduced (oh, Captain Thorne is probably my fave new character as he bought much needed humour to some stressful situations). I love the direction this book went and went it's going with the next book in the series, Cress. I can not wait.
However, while I am totally bias, I know some of you won't be. I know that there will be issues that will drive a few of you nuts over. Ok, let's address them. First of all, Scarlet and Wolf's relationship. It changes and evolves VERY QUICKLY and, in real life, this wouldn't happen. And, because the story doesn't stay with Scarlet (it jumps from her to Cinder to Prince Kai and, at one point, the Luna Queen herself [these changes will annoy some of you, as well,), some of you won't feel the chemistry between her and Wolf. The same could be said with Cinder and Captain Thorne, but seeing as they are thrust together and have to make do, their relationship works nicely. But Scarlet and Wolf's relationship does move very quickly. But, remember, we have two more books in this series and I suspect that we will be seeing more of Scarlet and Wolf in them so we will probably see more of their relationship as the series moves through Cress and into the finale, Winter.
Like I said, I'm bias to this book. I adore it. I can not wait for Cress, which will be out next year (this is the disadvantage to getting ARCs - longer waits...)! Bring it on!
Where should I put this review? That is the main question am asking myself while I write this review. I know, that is a stupid thing to think, but I am actually thinking this...
So, while I push that question to one side while I write up my review/reaction to Beautiful Darkness, the second book in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Gracia and Margaret Stohl. I'm not sure if I can keep this spoiler-free so, if you are considering or are reading Beautiful Creatures and you don't want to be spoiled, STOP READING!!! (and if you haven't read Beautiful Creatures, click here if you want to read my review...)
Right, now that's out of the way, Beautiful Darkness. After the events of Beautiful Creatures, Ethan thinks he and Lena, the Caster he's in love with, are safe from the events of Lena's sixteen birthday. She wasn't Claimed, but Lena made a choice. A choice so terrible, it's haunts her daily. A choice so terrible, even Ethan doesn't knows about it. And now, Lena is becoming more distance from Ethan and he is terrified of losing her. Losing her to the Dark, and losing her from his life. Now, her seventeen birthday is coming, and Lena has to make a choice. Whatever she decides will have unspeakable consequences. Can Ethan save her in time? And Lena want to be saved?
Am going to be honest with you. While I liked Beautiful Creatures, I much prefer Beautiful Darkness. I think this is because I put so much pressure on myself to like Beautiful Creatures, seeing as I ADORE the movie trailer (see below!). So, when the book didn't met my expectations, I felt a bit let down. Whereas, with Beautiful Darkness, I don't have that pressure. I'm reading it because I want to read it. I want to know what happens next (and because I have the other two books in the series and I am going to read them whether I like this series or not!). Having no pressure to like this book was very liberating! And it actually helped me like the book!
Anyway, Beautiful Darkness. It's darker than Beautiful Creatures (always a good thing, in my humble opinion as this shows depth in the world) and there's not so much world building andexplaining was done to the reader/Ethan. All of that is explained in Beautiful Creatures, so you sink into the story, while the authors add layers to the world of the Casters. New layers, new things to discover, new characters (well, only two, but we get very little on one of them so, technically, one character). And while we're on characters, how I love reading about Amma, Link and Ridley. They, to me, are perfect for the book. Amma and Link seem to ground the book into reality, even though they are in the supernatural world, while Ridley seems to be the book's light relief (as is Link) and gives the book a spunky edge. And with the new character of Liv... what I seem to be saying is that while the book is supernatural, it's very much character-driven.
Also, both Kami and Margaret are clever as they answer some questions most of us asked in book one, while asking new questions that hint towards answers in the next few books, Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption.
Now, I do have one or two faults. One of which, I'm not sure if it's a bad thing or something VERY clever from the authors. So, first fault. In the last quatre of the book, there were times when times happened that felt a tiny bit convenient. People would pop up with the right thing or the right information at time when Ethan most needed it... and that felt false at times. Though both Margaret and Kami explained this, I wish that it was more hinted at during the book so it would, to me, feel more real than me going "Huh?"
The second fault is Lena. Again. I know I talked about her in my review of Beautiful Creatures, and I sense from the spoiler-free reviews of Beautiful Chaos and Beautiful Redemption that she is going to bother me a bit. But in this book... oh, how ANGRY I got with. I know she is the main female lead and I know that she's only sixteen, but OH MY GOODESS! The number of times I wanted to shake her and the number of times I was cursing her very bad words was ridiculous! I spread a fair amount of time while reading this book HATING Lena! That's right, HATING! With capital letters!
But (now this is where I get a little unstuck with this fault), I think both Margaret and Kami did this on purpose. Now, stick with me on this. For the first quarter of the book, I sympathised with her. I felt Lena's pain and grief over what happened to her in the last book. And then, that vanished with Lena went nuts. Mostly during the Galtin Country Fair chapters, but there was a build up. But it was mostly here with her behaviour and the way she treated people. Because of this, I HATED her. But then, by the end of the book, though I still disliked her for what she did, I kinda understood why Lena behaved the way she did. Maybe even sympathised with her again. So, to have a reader react so physically to a character and their behaviour is one of the main things for an author to do and when a reader does react like this, you know that the character is well written!
While I still don't like Lena Duchannes, I am really surprised on how much I liked this book. And the fact I liked it more than Beautiful Creatures is an added bonus. Now, I wanted to read this before the movie came out (and oh, look. I have!) so, in the next few months, I will reading Beautiful Chaos, the third book in the series. And from what I've heard, this is darker than Beautiful Darkness. And I can not wait!
I have been aware of Beautiful Creatures since it came out in 2010 (or was it 2009?). I heard the hype and seen the cover (pretty, isn't it?). So why have I not picked it up then? The size. Have you not seen it? It's 563 pages long! And it has TINY writing! It's a scary beast of a book! But I always kinda wanted to read it. So when the trailer for the movie version of Beautiful Creatures was revealed a few months ago (it's at the bottom of this review, FYI), and I thought"This movie looks awesome! I need to get my hands on this series and play catch up!". And when I told people I could find a copy of Beautiful Creatures in my local bookshops, the lovely Sya from Mountains of Instead got me a secondhand copy and sent it to me...
Again, I love being part of the YA book blogging community! Just saying!
So, in the small Southern US town of Gatlin, everyone seems to know everyone's business. They enjoy the reenactments of the American Civil War (or, it's in known in Gatlin, The War Between the States or The War of Northern Aggression). They enjoy going to church every Sunday and have an Us Vs Them to outsiders. And Ethan Wate wants out. Once he's finished school, he's gone. But when a mysterious newcomer, niece of the mysterious Macon Ravenwood, Ethan is instantly attached to Lena Duchannes. He's been seeing her in his dreams for months. But as the pair slowly fall in love, Ethan enters Lena's world. The world of Casters. The world where that sits under the town of Gatlin. The world where, on her sixteenth birthday, Lena's fate is decided. She will go either Light or Dark...
And in the end, there will be grave... The question is whose?
Right, let's get started on how I feel about this. And am going to be honest. I'm not sure. On very much on the fence. I do see the book's pros, but I do see its cons as well.
Ok, let's did with the cons as I think I might rant over these. I think they come down to two points. The length and Lena herself. With the length (563 pages, as I said before), there is so much in this book and yet, there were times the book dragged. I get from most people that this was a problem with them, so I'm not alone, and I completely get other people saying "this is world building" (and I can't fault that! The world building in this book was good and clever). But when the book did drag, I did wonder if these chapters were needed or if the book could have been tightened up a bit...
The second fault I had with Lena "You Don't Understand" Duchannnes. Out of all the female characters in the book, she was kinda weak (though she is fifteen). And if she used the phase (her catchphrase, really) "You don't understand" one more time...
However, this book does have good points! The character development and the world building within this book was really good. And the gothic, Southern feel to the book was wonderful! I loved that! It feel like how I felt a southern town in the United State would feel like. And the writing style - you would never know two people wrote this! Also, the characters. Most of the characters (even Lena up to a point...) were good characters and surprised me. And they have stand-out scene that make me very happy!
One of my fave scenes was when Mrs Lincoln (Ethan's best friend's mother) went toe-to-toe with Lena's uncle, Macon in a Law & Order courtroom-style. That made me so happy as the chapter was built on all the tensions that had affected the book from the very start and hinted dangerously to the end. And then, we have Ridley's scenes... she was always a fun character to read about, as is Link, Ethan's best friend.
I am going to finish the series. Of course I am! I already have Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos and, at the time of writing this, I have preordered Beautiful Redemption. But as the books are so thick (all are around 500 pages), I'm going to take my time over reading them. So, the course of next year and maybe early 2014, you will probably get the rest of the Caster Chronicles. But yeah, I will be very intriguied to see how the movie turns out...
When I said, quite casually on Twitter, that I was going to buy this, people of Twitter got upset. "But you haven't read the series!" they cried. "You're spoiling yourself if you read this series!" (my fave response was "NO YOU CAN'T DO THAT BLASPHEMY!") So, I have to explain why, even though I said I won't read it to several people on Twitter (*looks sheepish as the stares of @JeffreyWest & @CassJayTucker* hi).
Because I wanted to read it. Plus I do this all the time with series (have you not seen me attack the free short stories for the Soul Screamers series) so I can get the feel for the writing style so I know if I will get on with the series...
So, Dream Dark takes place between Beautiful Darkness and Beautiful Chaos so if you are reading this series, SPOILERS AHOY!
Following the events of Beautiful Darkness, something isn't right with Link. He seems to have gone off his food. He seems to have grown several inches taller. And when did he develop muscles like that from? And how did he heal from that bite so fast? Look out Gatlin, South Carolina, here comes the first Linkubus...
This is a story for the fans. I have to say this first and foremost so, if you're like me and know nothing of the series, BACK AWAY! This isn't for you.
But saying that though, I quite liked this story. Link was a fun character. Do you know how hard it is to find a fun character from a series which is quite dark? And the writing was good! Which solves me question over if I'm going to read the series or not...
Of course I was. I'm going to see the movie (It has Emma Thompson, Jeremy Irons and Viola Davis in it! And have you not see that pic of Emmy Rossum being Ridley?! THIS FILM BETTER BE RELEASED IN THE UK!!!) so, of course, I'm going to read the book.
My main problem is the length. I wish the short story was longer (TEASE THE FANS!). I spent 49p on this (not much, I know), but I want more money's worth. And if I was a fan of the series, I wouldn't want to pay this, only to get 56% of Beautiful Chaos teaser, which is a good teaser for those about to read Beautiful Chaos, but not me who hasn't read the series (I didn't read this so NO MORE spoilers than what I read [which by the time I read Beautiful Creatures, I would have COMPLETELY forgotten!]).
If you are a fan of the series (and/or you're lusting after Link), this is essential. If you're like me and unsure over the series, go to your local library or download a teaser of Beautiful Creatures on your eReader and see what you think...
PS - I wrote this several days before the Beautiful Creatures teaser trailer come out and the same song I chose as my theme song for Dream Dark was used on the teaser trailer! I'M PSYCHIC, PEOPLE!!!
I really wish I can turn round to you and say I bought this for my nephew (who I spoil rotten). I REALLY wish I could say that I bought this for him. But he's too young to read Beatrix Potter so this was for me!
You guys must read my blog and dread what book I'm going to read next...!
I always thought I was a Beatrix Potter fan. I loved Peter Rabbit, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-Duck, Tom Kitten. I always thought that Mrs Tiggy-Winkle and Mr Jeremy Fisher would make the perfect couple (I have no idea why!). And my favourite tale by Beatrix Potter is The Tailor of Gloucester.So, when I heard that Emma Thompson was writing a "further tale", I decided to do some research... and discovered that I haven't read even half of the Beatrix Potter collection. I never even heard of Mr Tod, before Emma Thompson mentioned him in an interview!
So, The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit. Peter Rabbit is in low spirits. He sneaks into Mr McGregor's garden to discover a picnic basket. Hiding inside for a sleep, he wakes up to discover that he's in Scotland and is face to face with a giant black bunny, Finlay McBurney...
Now, this must be a daunting challenge for both Emma Thompson and the illustrator, Eleanor Taylor. To write and draw a new story and, at the same time, capture the spirit and essence of Beatrix Potter. And, dare I say it, I think they both do it while, at the same time, being themselves.
I know some of you have told me that the story, in your opinion, has a slight politic edge, but I didn't see it. It must have been blindsighted by the illustrations, which are so pretty. I will put some below.
But I really like this. I think this will fit the Beatrix Potter stories really well and with Emma Thompson being asked to write a further two tales (thanks theBookseller.com for the heads-up), I'm sure young fans of the book will love this and the further tails... sorry, tales.
(Oh, how I love this close up! So cute!)
PS - I just went on the official Peter Rabbit website and they are giving away a copy of The Further Tale of Peter Rabbit. Closing date is 31st October 2012 so if you want to enter, go here!
