GoodRead - The Killing Place

Have I ever told you that I am a bit of a crime nut? Well, I was a few years ago. And the main author I read before I discovered Kathy Reichs was Tess Gerritsen. For a while, I kept seeing this book when I entered my job's (at the time) nearest book shop and it really held my attention, but I always put it off. It was a hardback and whenever I seem to buy hardback books, I usually end up hating the book and cursing myself for wasting money. So, when the book came out in paperback, with a scarier-looking cover, I snapped it up and read the first few chapters within a coffee shop. That was Body Double. And then, I devoured Vanish, The Mephisto Club and backtracked into read The Surgeon and then Harvest.

But I haven't read anything else of hers for a while. So while I was chatting to a book blogger, Sya (from the book blog, The Mountain Of Instead – click here if you want to check out her blog). I mentioned about her reading Tess Gerritsen's latest novel, Sya very kindly (and surprisingly) lent me her copy! How nice of her!!!

So, let me talk about The Killing Place (or Ice Cold as it is called in the USA). After getting catch in a snow storm and trusting a GPS, Maura Isles and four others find themselves lost and stranded, they stumble down a private road to the valley of Kingdom Come where they take shelter...

... and then vanish.

Days later, Jane Rizzoli goes in search for her missing friend, only to be told that crashed vehicle has been found with four badly burned bodies. One of which, assumed by the authorities, is Maura.

But is it? And if it isn't, where is Maura? And what terrible secret is Kingdom Come hiding?

This, to me, is more a thriller than crime, but I like that. There were times I was reading this and lost tract of time. So much for reading one or two chapters, huh? I think it was the idea of getting lost into a snow storm and vanishing off the face of the earth that held my attention. What would happen if this happened? What happened then?

It's been a while since I've read a Rizzoli and Isles novel, but this seemed to be nice welcome back to the series. And I have a copy of a Rizzoli and Isles novel “Keeping The Dead” (aka The Keepsake in the USA)... maybe I should read that after I get through my Books To Be Read Pile...

Imogen Heap

As some of you know, I'm a bit of an Imogen Heap fan. And I got to see her live at the Royal Albert Hall this Friday just gone.

And yes, I EFF-ING loved it!

Because I don't want to go COMPLETELY GIDDY like I did with Becca Fitzpatrick (wanna know what I mean? Check here!), am just going to upload some videos of her and leave it at that.

ENJOY!!!











PS - I want the LOVW THE EARTH score on a CD. Like Now!

Meeting Becca Fitzpatrick (aka ARRRRRRRRRGGGGGHHHH!!!)

As some of you know, I was going/gone to a book signing of the lovely author, Becca Fitzpatrick this Sunday just gone at Bluewater.

So, after having no idea how/what to write for this, am going to do this… AAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

… and breathe!

I swear I don’t go all gooey and “OMG!” over famous people. But I did on Sunday.

After some mad rushing to the shop and then back into the shop to buy myself copies of Becca’s books (I left my copies at home. ROOKIE MISTAKE!!!), I stood in line (which was long!) with a friend of mine, laughing at the randomness of Twitter. Mostly the hashtag of #MoviesInMyPants (which was basically adding the words “In My Pants” to the end of film titles. We came up with “Raging Bull In My Pants”, “Gone With The Wind In My Pants”, “12 Angry Men In My Pants” and many, MANY others!)

Almost, I met some Twitter-Friends. Laura (aka @sisterspooky) and very briefly Leanne & Rebecca (aka @leanne_luce & @conesound). They were a tad ahead of us in a line and Laura hunted me down and we met. We hugged. We compared our bright yellow shoes (she has bright yellow boots and I was wearing Hufflepuff converses!).

More waiting… and me looking up and down the line to see no guy holding the books in his hands. A tiny fear confirmed (to be the only guy in the line), I waited my turn, wondering why most blokes were there? Driver? Partner? Driver? Emotional blackmail? All of the above (I have used them. But shh! No one needs to know that!)

And then we were allowed to enter Waterstones! Over an hour wait and we’re nearly there…!

As I joined the line in the bookshop, Laura, Leanne and Rebecca appeared, having their books signed and they were giddy! “Oh, she is expecting you!” Laura says, smiling. “And she wants to see your converses!”

I was being expected… oh heck!

You see, Becca is on twitter (here she is!) and seeing as I am a bit of a twitter addict, I tweet her and she tweets back (I love authors that do that. Respond to their fans/readers). So, to fact that she knew I was there and in line was… er… a strange experience.

And then I turned round and saw the shirtless model with his six (possible eight) pack and his stuckon black wings and everyone in front and behind me melting to the floor. I think me and my mate did also.

I wish I was in the meeting when that was decided. I have this image of Becca going to the UK publisher, “Listen. I am going to do these many dates, meeting readers and, you know, I need something to keep me going when I had a bad night’s sleep or when I need a pick me up. How about a shirtless young hottie who we can say is ‘Patch’. What do you think?” (to who ever thought of getting this model/Patch, I am pretty sure nearly everyone who went to all Becca’s book signing is EXTREMELY grateful!)

And then, I saw and then met Becca.

Earlier on in this blog, I said how I don’t go all gooey and “OMG!” over famous people. Well, I got very star-stricken. And you know when you get to meet someone famous or someone you respect and admire, you seem to lose any normal sense? Well, my brain did that.

While I said “Hello,” and Becca said, “I was told by Laura to show me your shoes” (of which I was teased over because I put my shoe on the table! Smooth, much?), my brain was thinking, “I love her hair!” (I so want to time travel and shake myself because of this thought!).

It was short, brief and awesome! We said “Hi” to each other, she signed my book, chatted briefly about Laura (hear that, SisterSpooky?) and then had a quick photo. :D

And then, we hugged.

Am trying OH-SO-VERY-HARD not to go all fanboy and squee very loudly! But I got so flipping giddy about that for the rest of the day! (And now reading that back, I sound like a mad stalker! I’m not, Becca! PROMISE!)

But it was cool. So cool!

So, to Becca, thanks for coming to the UK and thank you for bearing with someone as excitable as myself. Can’t wait for Tempest and as for Crescendo’s ending… WHAT THE FRIDGING HELL?!



And just to prove how brilliant Laura's and my boots/Converse were...

GoodRead – 206 Bones

A short review on Kathy Reich’s 12th novel featuring Temperance Brennan, though I listened to an abridged audiobook (I hate abridged audiobooks. But that’s a rant for a later date) read by Linda Emond.

So, the quickness of the plot. Tempe is working on several cases in this book/audiobook. Tempe (I prefer calling her Tempe) is accused of mishandling a case. The man, who got a mysterious phone, has accused her of missing or concealing crucial evidence on a missing heiress. But before she make get more information, the man dies.

As she has to solve who accused her of this, she is working of several cases of three women who have been brutally discarded. Tempe is sure there is a connection between these three women and the missing heiress. But there is lack of clues. Then she’s been accused of making mistakes…

Has Temperance been making grave mistakes? Or does she have a unknown foe sabotaging her? Her career is on the line, but if she’s not careful, Temperance’s life will be too…

I have tried to read this book (and the book before this Devil Bones), but failed to get into it. I need to be in the mood for crime and murder, and when I tried to read them, I wasn’t. I wanted ghosts and fallen angel.

But, I listened to this, and I liked it. I got confused with some of the names and some of the cases (she worked on three cases, if you believe Amazon.co.uk), but I liked how everything worked. The fragile relationship between Brennan and Andrew Ryan (I must have missed them breaking up in an earlier book! Which book did this happen?) was written brilliantly – I think that’s why I like reading Kathy – she gets under the character’s skin, plus Tempe’s dark humour is always a plus!

Plus, I like how the story jumped from Tempe trying to solve the crime to Tempe being trapped in a tomb. It makes a reading/listening to the story more interesting, because you are always going “So, what does she do that puts her in this situation? What have I missed?”

If I am honest, read the book. If you’re going to get the audiobook, get unabridged. If you can’t, you can still get the abridged audiobook. But reading the book is ALWAYS better!

Books and Their Theme Songs (Volume 4)

As you guys know, on every book reviewing blog I do (known as GoodRead), I try and add a music track that represents the book. And, every now and then, I do one of these blogs. I really should do these more often!

So, here we go again...!

MOCKINGJAY by Suzanne Collins - "Versions of Violence" by Alanis Morissette & "In These Arms" by Swell Season.





THE HAUNTED by Jessica Verday - "She Moves Through the Fair" by Skully



THE BODY FINDER by Kimberly Derting - "Death By Diamonds and Pearls" by Band of Skulls & "Our Voices Are Vices" by Don't Wake Aislin.





CRESCENDO by Becca Fitzpatrick - "Mighty To Save" by Don't Wake Aislin & "Follow Me Back Into The Sun" by The Rescues

Let's Do The Kibble Dance!

Well, this is a HappyBlog!

KAA!!!

BeforeUGo - October 2010 Recommendations

Hello again!!! Music time!!! Let's keep this short and sweet, shall we? Here is October 2010's recommendations, just for you!

JOHNNY McCLURE - http://www.myspace.com/johnnymcclure
BEACH HOUSE - http://www.myspace.com/beachhousemusic
ZOE KEATING - http://music.zoekeating.com/
KATIE GAVIN - http://www.youtube.com/katiegavs & http://www.myspace.com/katiegavs

Anyway, hope you like the music. If you want to find us on Twitter or on Facebook, please do! And recommend music to us! We love hearing from you!!!