#re3 - Mister Monday

Have you ever reread a book or audiobook that you really enjoyed in the past and yet, this time round, something feels off and you don't think it's the book but might be you? 

Well, I had that near the end of my reread of Mister Monday, the first book in the Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. And, like I said a few weeks ago, I think the events of the real world and possible blogging burnout might be the reason. 

Ok, I feel I should explain this book and why I decided to reread this, even though I reread this back in ... let me check my notes ... 2016 (write-up for that is here). So, I have read the series since Mister Monday was first published in the UK in 2003. This was published by HarperCollins and, while selling well and having a solid fanbase internationally, it never hit the heights of Garth Nix's other beloved series, The Old Kingdom (which, you guys know, I adore). So, it's been a little quiet in the past few years, until Hot Key Books bought the rights to republish the series. You see, in the past few years, Hot Key Books and its sister imprint, Piccadilly Press, have been publishing and rebranding Garth Nix's children and teen titles (Gollancz are publishing his adult titles, Angel Mage and Left-Handed Booksellers of London, and will be republishing Garth's space opera, A Confusion of Princes later this spring/summer). 

So, new covers, new branding for Garth Nix and, with it, a new audience. 

So, of course, I was excited and I wanted to reread this to refresh my memory and see what new tricks Hot Key is going to throw at it. 

And yet...

I really enjoyed returning to this world and its characters at the start of this. So excited and happy. And yet, the more I reread, the more meh I felt over it. And that;'s not the book's fault. I want to stress this. Normally, I would reread a book and usually, I love it or find new elements that make me go "Ooooh! I see what you did there", but this time, those "oooh" moments weren't really there and I can't explain why fully. 

I'm putting it down due to the climate the world is in at the moment. For the UK, we have been in a COVID-19 bubble/lockdown for a year now and, though there is the beginning of light at the end of the tunnel, I think the fatigue and the burnout is beginning to effect us now. Also, while I do love reread books and discovering new fun reads, I think I'm ready to rediscover some stories with a tad of meat on their books. 

So maybe my plan to read Middle Grade this March isn't going to happen. But as for my reread, sometimes, it's the right book for the wrong time. When I started, it was a the right story, but for the last few days, it wasn't and am glad I have refreshed my memory of this title and decided that, maybe later this year, I'll reread a later book in the (I was thinking one of the latter four: Sir Thursday, Lady Friday, Superior Saturday or Lord Sunday. Am leaning towards Sir Thursday or Lady Friday as, barring Mister Monday, these are the strongest of the series [Sir Thursday has an edge over Lady Friday]). 

#re3 - Mister Monday

This is going to be my last bookish post before my two week break and my themed month. And, of course, it's a reread.

Although, not really. I was reading something else. But, I got a good 150 pages in and I wasn't feeling it. Sometimes, you just don't click with a book at that moment. And I didn't click reading that book - though I do have plans to return to reading it in the future once everything has calmed a little down.

I had an itch to read Garth Nix. I was thinking of rereading books from his Old Kingdom series, to get myself ready for Goldenhand, out later this year. But after reading the prologue of Lirael, I changed my mind. Not sure why, but I picked up Mister Monday instead. I always had an itch to reread this series (though I have never read Drowned Wednesday).

On the first day, Arthur was meant to die of an asthma attack. Instead, Mister Monday and Sneezer appeared and changed all that. Now, Arthur can see a House that no one can see. Now, there are dog-faced men trying to catch him, trying to steal something Mister Monday gave to Arthur to protect himself from the Will, whatever that is.

Seven days. Seven keys. Seven sins. Seven virtues. One House. But is Arthur up to saving the House, but the his world as well...?

It's been a while since I had read this series, so I was going to back with a vague memory of this book. Not a complete memory, but I wasn't working in blind. But there were things in this that I read a went "Oh yeah! I forgot about you!"

This series is older middle-grade so it's very different from the Old Kingdom which is very much older YA. So little scenes that would be more graphic was much simpler (not a bad thing, mind). Plus, while I would class this as fantasy, it's a mix of genres - steampunk, for example, is dotted here and there.

And I forgot how nuts this series is. It really is mad on fantasy and magic. And this is book one. We get use to this as the series goes on, but in this first book, it's a little shocking and, for poor Arthur (and for us), overwhelming.

But I missed this world. I forgot how much I enjoy this! And I feel the itch to continue rereading this series. So, after my themed month is done and dusted, looks like am going to reread two series for the rest of the year. Brace yourselves, dear reader. It's going to be one weird ride!

GoodRead - “Lord Sunday” by Garth Nix

Okay, I know that I have been going on about this book for a while now (sorry to you and to my poor friends who I have annoyed over the past few weeks!). It was only because I wanted this book before I went away on my lovely holiday, because the book was going on general sale the day after I went away!

But I got it the day before at the airport (woo hoo!) and I read it in three days flat. But, I fear, I might have skimmed the story and missed one or two things so SORRY in advance.

So, LORD SUNDAY is the final book in the Keys to the Kingdom series and, because some of you lot might not have read the series (or have a clue what I'm going on about), I'll be vague!

After the events that happened in SUPERIOR SATURDAY, which made him fall out the Incomparable Gardens, Arthurs lands not in the Upper House but somewhere completely unexpected. Arthur has to find the Seventh (and final) piece of the Will and claim the Seventh Key from the last Morrow Day, Lord Sunday.

But things aren't going to be easy. Saturday, without her Key, has joined forces with the mysterious Architect's son, the Piper. Arthur is desperately trying to hold onto his mortality and a tide of Nothing is rising, destroying everything in its path, slowly destroying the House. And if the House is destroyed, then so is the Universe.

Now, I'm going to be honest: I have no idea what I was expecting from this book. I think all throughout the series has been slowly building to an action-packed showdown and when we did see action, Arthur isn't involved in it! Suzy Blue is and so is Leaf (we see a lot more of her in this book!) but no Arthur.

Also with Arthur, he's no longer relateable. In the start of the series, he was a regular kid thrown into a strange and twisted world. But, because of the events and revelations that happened within the series, this is part of the over-arcing plot.

But, I really like this series and this book might not be my favourite (that would go to Sir Thursday!), but I think this fits the series. But some readers might feel like they were a bit short-changed.

Now, I hope that this ending doesn't creep up in the two novels Garth Nix is writing to the Old Kingdom series (aka the Abhorsen series if you live outside the UK) or there will be trouble...

PS – I've only just got why on the cover, there's “On the seventh day, there was silence...”

Another Blog About Lord Sunday (aka JUST GIVE ME THE BOOK TO SHUT ME UP!!!)

Even though LORD SUNDAY isn't out till the 4th March (when I am OUT OF THE COUNTRY!), I have start prowling my local Waterstones and WHSmiths, in the vain (and pointless) hope that one of them have released the book early by accident so I can grab a copy and save it for my trip.

But, seeing as that's not going to happen, I have decided (because I think good books should be promoted by fans via blogs or YouTube or whatever!), I decided to do a quote from each book.

A bit like what Stephenie Meyer did with Eclipse and Breaking Dawn.

But, it this goes down well, I'll do it regularly with a mix of book series and/or books that I think you should read!

So, with this, let's just stick with the Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix, shall we? (was going to tweet this once a day, but I'll forget so blogging it is!)

Monday's Noon: "The back door, my Fetchers! Ar-tor attempts the back door!" (Mister Monday, page 106 in UK edition)

Arthur: "I'm not Monday!" (Grim Tuesday, page 149 in the UK edition)

Emily: "He just... I don't know... he just doesn't seem himself." (Drowned Wednesday, page 391 in the UK edition)

Arthur: "I'm Arthur Penhaligon!" (Sir Thursday, page 223 in the UK edition)

Lady Friday: "But may I just taste a little more?" (Lady Friday, page 359 in the UK edition)

Leaf: "You... need to come back!" (Superior Saturday, page 324 in the UK edition)

Now, from the preview of Lord Sunday, this is the first line from LORD SUNDAY.

Arthur fell.

GoodRead – “Lord Sunday” by Garth Nix Teaser

With barely a month to go if you live in Australia and two months to go if you live in the USA or in the UK, the final book in Garth Nix’s spellbinding series “Keys to the Kingdom” will be on bookshelves. And, the lovely publishers of the book series in Australia released a podcast of the author himself reading the first two chapters to wet our appetites.

But before I briefly talk about it (without spoilers!), you will see the UK, US and the Australian covers and you will read the Product Description from Amazon.co.uk and Wheelers.co.nz.

Amazon.co.uk Product Description
In this seventh and last book of THE KEYS TO THE KINGDOM, the mysteries of the House, the Architect, the Trustees, the Keys and the Will are revealed, and the fate of Arthur, our Earth, and the entire Universe is finally decided. Arthur has wrested the Sixth Key from Superior Saturday, but has fallen from the Incomparable Gardens; fallen not to the Upper House but to somewhere completely unexpected. Alone in enemy territory, as his mind and body are further transformed by the power of the Keys, Arthur must struggle with himself as much as with his many enemies. Meanwhile, Arthur's friend Suzy Blue plots an escape from her prison in Saturday's tower, as battle rages above and below. Saturday's elite force is pressing on into the Incomparable Gardens, while her massed sorcerers fight a desperate rear-guard action against the Piper and his Newnith army. On earth, Leaf has to cope with the aftermath of a nuclear strike. Responsible for all the Sleepers in Friday's private hospital, she needs all the help she can get, particularly as Leaf herself has become a target for intruders from the House. And the tide of Nothing continues to rise, destroying everything in its path...

Wheelers.co.nz Product Description
Master of the Incomparable Gardens, the last of the Trustees, and the most powerful Denizen in the house, Lord Sunday is a fierce opponent. And Arthur is running out of time. With everything falling to pieces around him, Arthur must be quick if he is to stem the tide of Nothing and save the House and the Secondary Realms. But he is beset by worries. Will he ever get home to his family? Does he have a home and family left? Is he even really human anymore? And perhaps most urgent of all: What will be revealed when the Will of the Architect is finally made whole? Lord Sunday is the stunning conclusion to the blockbuster Keys to the Kingdom series.

Now, am going to VERY BRIEFLY chat about the podcast of Garth Nix reading the first and second chapter of Lord Sunday (there’s no prologue read, even though each book in the series has one… hmmmm…)

Chapter 1 is about Arthur and what happened to him after the cliffhanger ending of Superior Saturday. It’s quite surprising for me as this chapter, Arthur isn’t the Arthur I relate him. He’s now beginning to struggle to stay human as he has becomes more Denizen and not a nice Denizen at that.

Chapter 2 is about Suzy Blue and this chapter brings some much-needed light relief after the heavy first chapter (has nothing to do with the fact that she’s one of my fave characters within the series). We see what happened to her after the events of Superior Sunday and we met a new character who I love! You might think he’s a bit slow but I love him!

And that’s it! No more from me on the subject! I’m going to put the link for the podcast below and I will wait (impatiently) for Lord Sunday…

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=350710673&subMediaType=Audio