Stalking Jack the Ripper

On December 28, 2017December 28, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Review1 Comment

Author: Kerri Maniscalco

Publisher: Jimmy Patterson

Published: 20 September 2016

Rating: 4.5 stars

‘As the afternoon wore on, I watched them, noting the role they were all playing. I doubted any of them truly cared about what they were saying and immensely sorry for them. Their minds were crying out to be free, but they refused to unbind them.’

This book was a big surprise for me. I’d originally planned on reading this book just to get to the squeal. I enjoyed Maniscalco’s twist on Jack the Ripper. Audrey Rose is a strong and modern young woman who refuses to stop studying forensic science and cutting up cadavers just because of the rules the Victorian era placed on women of her status. Audrey Rose works with her Uncle and his young assistant, Thomas Cresswell, to autopsy a string of savagely killed corpses and help Scotland Yard hunt down the serial murderer, Jack the Ripper.

I’m not a big fan of first-person narratives but I think it works for this story. I enjoyed being inside Audrey Rose’s head as she processed each clue and tried to figure out how they all fit together. I loved how Audrey Rose’s personality shone through the writing style. You could feel each eye roll, her frustration at being sheltered and how hard it was for her to keep a hold of her polite society manners.

For me, since I’m not a mystery reader, I didn’t see who Jack the Ripper was until the big reveal and I was pleasantly surprised. I also really loved Maniscalco’s interpretation of the Ripper mythology. It’s clear that she really loves this time period and the mystery of Jack the Ripper with the care she takes when adding in all the gory details. I never felt overwhelmed by the science, world building or the facts of the Ripper murders. Her interruption was believable and played on the theories historians are still debating on.

The most interesting part of this story was the forensic science elements. I learnt so much about it and never felt like it went over my head or that it was dumbed down. The added illustrations of medical procedures and human anatomy really brought this world to life. The illustration paired Maniscalco’s descriptions perfectly. The anatomical description painted the mutilated victims in a vivid, grotesque light that would leave me feeling morbidly fascinated and queasy all at once. If you don’t to well with gore I would no recommend reading this late at night or on a full stomach.

I loved that the romance didn’t take over the narrative like it seems to do with most YA books. Don’t get me wrong I love a good romance as much as the next person but sometimes it takes over the main thread of the story. I think I enjoyed the romance in this more because it was a slow build and you’d never know when those scenes would pop up. I love that Audrey Rose didn’t let Thomas’ charm distract her from the task at hand.

However, I would like to see some other strong female characters in the future books. The only other women to feature are Audrey Rose’s cousin Liza—who is shown as the stereotypical Victorian lady—and Liza’s mother—who is the strict, over religious matriarch. It’s like Maniscalco was spending so long highlighting that Audrey Rose doesn’t fit the mental and social stereotypes of the era that she forgot about the other women.

Also, I would love to see more about Audrey Rose’s Indian heritage since it’s only mentioned in passing when she’s thinking about her mother. It would be interesting to see how this beautiful culture fits with the strict Victorian customs. I hope this is explored in future books.

I cannot wait to dive into the sequel! If you love well-written historical fiction with strong female characters and a dash of murder I think this one is for you.

Top 5 Books of 2017

On December 20, 2017December 20, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Top 5 Wednesday2 Comments

Hi again! I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas and the end of the year. In celebration of this, today’s topic is our top books of 2017

Top 5 Wednesday was created over on BookTube by the wonderful Laniey at gingerreadslaniey and run by the lovely Sam of Thoughts on Tomes . Also you can check out the Goodreads page for past and future topics.

These books are listed in no particular order.

The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

This is such a fun and whimsical series. I have a full review here if you want to know all my thoughts. Nevermoor might just be the Harry Potter for this generation of young readers. I adore everything about this book. Nevermoor, Morrigan, Hawthorn, Jupiter, The Hotel Deucalion and even Fen. Nevermoor has all the magic and whimsy of our favourite worlds like Wonderland and Whoville. I really hope they adapt this into a movie or tv series because I would love to see Nevermoor come to life.

The Boy Made of Snow by Chloe Mayer

I adore this book so much, which was a big surprise for me since I’m not a fan of WWII fiction. I have a full review so I won’t ramble on too long. I love Mayer’s writing. It is beautiful. So much so that I found myself slowing my reading pace and rereading sections just to savour it. I could have the whole novel wallpapered in my room and I would be so happy.

The narrative is beautifully crafted. It takes the dangers of living during WWII, twists them with the whimsy of fairytales and lets you deep inside a broken family who are trying to hard to be ‘normal’. I’m in awe of the way Mayer was able to balance to historic elements with the fairy tale threads. And I loved that the fairy tales were used to explore the relationship between Mother and Son. Seeing what each character got out of the same story broke my heart. Safe to say I want everyone to read this! Pretty please!

The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

I picked this book up because it was the winner of this year’s Stella Prize. I’m not into the whole art scene so I was surprised with just how much I loved this book. The story centre’s around performing artist, Marina Abramovic and her MOMA exhibit called The Artist is Present. Along the way we meet Arky Swann, a local film composer, Brittika, a PhD student from Amsterdam writing her thesis on Marina’s art, Jane, an art teacher on holiday from Georgia, and we even hear from Marina herself. Through these characters and the exhibit, Rose explores all the different facets of love—what it’s like to be love and to love—, mourning and loss.

Rose’s prose is stunning it has a way of invoking strong images without overusing adjectives. For example, here the Arky, reflects on his life not only about love but about what it means to be an artist and to live creatively:

You would be amazed how rare it is for artists to feel moments of true satisfaction. When they’re inside their craft, inside colour or movement or sound, words or clay or pictures or dance, when they submit to the art, that is when they know two things – the void that is life and the pull that is death. The grand and the hollow. The best reflects that. To be such harbingers of truth is not without its cost. It’s no easy task to balance a sense of irrelevance with the longing for glory, the abyss with the applause.

I highly, highly recommend this one, even if you’re not into performance art—I wasn’t. I don’t think it’s something you need to get something from this narrative.

Random side note: I am so excited to see two non fiction pieces on my top books of the year. I’ve been trying hard to read more especially after reading these two.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

I wanted to read this book even since I saw her Ted Talk – which is this an extension of. This is an inspiring guide for artists, creators and, really, humans everywhere. I’m in awe of the trust Amanda has in her fans and her ability to share her entire life with them. And I mean everything from raising over a million dollars on Kickstarter to marriage problem and crippling self-doubt. Amanda knows first hand that asking is scary but also that it’s a gift that’s in constant circulation. This is a story I will return to again and again, whenever I’m looking for a pick-me-up.

So if you need help, just do as Amanda say and take that doughnut!

The Hate Race by Maxine Benabe Clarke

Maxine Benabe Clarke is one of my favourite authors. I will buy anything this woman put her name too. She is incredible. I do have a full review of this one so I’ll sum up my thoughts. Clarke’s prose is magical and still contains that innate rhythm and melody of her poetry. This book is heartbreaking. It highlights and showcases all the casual and everyday racism, which is embedded in our culture. Having this book is an invaluable insight into an experience I am fortunate enough to never have. I highly recommend. This book is significant in the fight against racism and a move towards an accepting and inclusive future.

That’s all for me. Comment down below and let me know if you’ve read any of these and which books topped your 2017 reading.

I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season and until next time, happy reading!
Dearna

Top 5 Bookish Things I’m a Grinch About

On December 6, 2017December 13, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Top 5 Wednesday2 Comments

Hi again! it’s been a while so I thought I’d so another Top 5 Wednesday. Today’s topic is the books we’re thankful for. In honour of NaNoWriMo wrapping up, we are discussing some authors we’d like to write like. Whether its their writing style, what genre they write in, or how many books they manage to churn out a year!

They are listed in no particular order.

Insta Love

I love a slow burn relationship because it does feel more natural but also has room for angst and all the anxiety that comes with the warm and fuzzy feelings of a new relationship. Aside from fairytales I don’t see the need for this to be a feature of any book. Yes I will admit I complete trash for the whole mate, soulmate trope but I don’t like when they look at each other and bam their both head over heels in love. I do love the whole happy ending, if I’m looking for something fluffy, but guess I’m old fashion and like the whole courting thing.

“She’s Not Like The Other Girls”

For me I feel like this just feeds into the whole idea what women and girls should tear each other down and compete over jobs and man rather than support each other and embrace our differences. Whenever this saying pops up in a book I roll my eyes. I feel like how is insulting other girls a good things? I don’t get it. It’s not romantic and really needs to stop! Please and thank you.

Changing Formats

I like books to look pretty on my selves and I keep my series together so nothing annoys me more than when a book changes cover or size half was through the series. The ones that annoy me most are; The Vampire Academy which became taller paperback and The Morganville Vampires which went from mass market paperbacks to the more standard size paperback which is really popular. Not sure if I’ll end up replacing them because I don’t really have an interested in rereading them but it still frustrates me. So please publishers stop changing covers and formats halfway through the series!!

Movie Covers

I don’t feel like I need to say too much on this one since most readers aren’t too fond of the movie cover but I had to include it. Personally, I don’t like people on my covers so the movie covers always annoy me and the original book cover designs are normally stunning and relate to the book rather than some actor’s face.

Lack of Platonic Relationships Between Boys and Girls

This one relates to the whole love triangle/shape thing. How come all these guys she’s meeting all have to be romantic interests? Why can’t they be friends? Lots of people have friends of the opposite gender who they haven’t be interested in and/or been in a relationship. I think it would be nice to see more of.

That’s all for me. Comment down below and let me know if any of these thing annoy you or some of your bookish pet peeves.
Until next time, happy reading!
Dearna

Top 5 Books I’m Thankful For

On November 22, 2017December 13, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Top 5 WednesdayLeave a comment

Hi again! it’s Wednesday so here is a Top 5 Wednesday. Today’s topic is the books we’re thankful for.

The books are listed in no particular order.

Twilight by Stephenie Myer

I’m sure this book will be a lot of people’s list and is no surprise. This book, despite it’s problems, really got me hooked on reading again in high school. I was a pretty big read in primary school but mostly flicked through non fiction and picked up a lot of books I never finished. So I am very thankful that it ignited that passion for reading in me because I can’t bear to imagine all the stories I would’ve miss out on if it weren’t for this series.

The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

I first found out about this series through it’s BBC adaptation. Once I finished the tv series, I promptly found the books in the seres that were out and devoured them. I am thankful for this series because it got me into historical fiction, importantly The Plantagenets and The Wars of the Roses.

The Art of Asking by Amanda Palmer

This book is amazing and one i’m thankful for due to two reasons. First reason, is that it was one of the first non fiction book I’ve read that had made me realise that non fiction is just as diverse in style as fiction can be. So since reading this I’ve been looking into more non fiction titles. Second reason, is that it’s helped me realised that it okay to open up and ask people for help.

The Picture of Dorian Gary by Oscar Wilde

This was the first classic I read outside of school assigned reading. It did take me like a month to get thought but I feel in love with gothic literature. So thankful Oscar Wilde for showing me that classics are so scary and you’d don’t need to only read them in english classes.

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

A friend at high school threw this book in my hand and said ‘read it!’ so of course I did and it became one of my favourite books of all time. This book was one of the first adult fiction books I read at time were I was reading exclusively young adult. So I’m thankful that it expanded my reading.

That’s all for me. Comment down below and let me know if you’ve read any of these or some of the books you’re thankful for.
Until next time, happy reading!
Dearna

The Boy Made of Snow

On November 14, 2017March 13, 2019 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Review5 Comments

Author: Chloe Mayer

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Published: 14 November 2017

Rating: 5 stars

‘I looked at the sunbeams, hoping to see the constellations inside them, but there was nothing there but dust in the air.’

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

Continue reading “The Boy Made of Snow” →

Around the Year in 52 Book Reading Challenge 2017

On November 9, 2017November 5, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Reading ChallengeLeave a comment

Hello!

Today I thought I’d give an update my Around the Year in 52 Books reading challenge.

I first did this challenge last year, and read 42 out the 52 books I planned to read. Even though I didn’t finish the challenge it was so much fun that I thought I’d give it another go.

Around the Year in 52 Books as the title suggests, the goal is to read 1 book for every week of the year. The Goodreads group has set a different challenge for each week – for example, a book with blue on the cover.

Listed below are the books I’ve either read or am planning to read. The images that are black & white, along with the bolded prompts are the books I still have to get to.

1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016
The Star-Touched Queen by Roshanni Chokshi

2. A book with at least 2 perspectives (multiple points of view)
The Sultan, The Vampyr and The Soothsayer by Lucille Turner

3. A book you meant to read in 2016
The Rose & The Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

4. A title that doesn’t contain the letter “E”
Why God is a Woman by Nin Andrews

5. A historical fiction
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry

6. A book being released as a movie in 2017
The Gunslinger by Stephen King

7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

8. A book written by a person of colour
Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list
The Gods of Olympus: A History by Barbara Graziosi

10. A dual-timeline novel
Tony & Susan by Austin Wright

11. A category from another challenge (Booktubeathon – Hyped Book)
Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh

12. A book based on a myth
Cassandra by Kerry Greenwood

13. A book recommended by one of your favourite authors (Kirsty Logan)
The Comet Seekers by Helen Sedgwick

14. A book with a strong female character
Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Lani Taylor

15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland)
The Constant Queen by Joanna Courtney

16. A mystery
Live by Night by Dennis Lehane

17. A book with illustrations
Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman

18. A really long book (600+ pages)
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

19. A New York Times best seller
Caraval by Stephanie Garber

20. A book that you’ve owned for a while but haven’t gotten around to reading
Percy Jackson and the Lightening Thief by Rick Riordan

21. A book that is a continuation of a book you’ve already read
Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh

22. A book by an author you haven’t read before
Kingmaker: Winter Pilgrims by Toby Clements

23. A book from the BBC “The Big Read” list
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

24. A book written by at least two authors
Loki’s Wolves by K.L. Armstrong and M.A. Marr

25. A book about a famous historical figure
A Knight’s Tale: a Novel by Edward John Crockett

26. An adventure book
The Odyssey by Homer

27. A book by one of your favourite authors
Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

28. A non-fiction
Bad News by Anjan Sundaram

29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre)
The Battle for Troy: An Adaptation Homer’s Iliad by Alan Whiticker

30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books
The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor

31. A book from a sub-genre of your favourite genre
Moon Chosen by PC Cast

32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle)
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops by Jen Campbell

33. A magical realism novel
One Hundred Shadows by Hwang Jungeun

34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere
Skylarking by Kate Mildenhall

35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty
The Stolen Queen by Lisa Hilton

36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

37. A book you choose randomly
Lucky Us by Amy Bloom

38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood

39. An epistolary fiction
Dracula by Bram Stocker

40. A book published in 2017
Daughter of a the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller

41. A book with an unreliable narrator
The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neil

42. A best book of the 21st century (so far)
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold)
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt

44. A recommendation from “What Should I Read Next”
Days of Blood and Starlight by Lani Taylor (recommended from The Wrath and the Dawn)

45. A book with a one-word title
Riders by Veronica Rossi

46. A time travel novel
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

47. A Book with a title, setting or subject having to do with a museum
The Museum of Modern Love by Heather Rose

48. A banned book
In Cold Blood by Turman Capote

49. A book from someone else’s bookshelf
The Hate Race by Maxine Benabe Clarke

50. A Penguin Modern Classic – any edition
Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan

51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays)
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

52. A book set in a fictional location
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson

So I think I’m doing pretty well, if I do say so myself! Comment down below and let me know if you’ve set any reading challenges for the year and how you’re going with them!

Until next time, happy reading
Dearna

T5W: Genre Benders

On November 8, 2017December 13, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Top 5 WednesdayLeave a comment

Hi again! It’s been ages since I’ve done one of these and it’s Wednesday so why not? Today’s topic is Genre Benders – in other words those books that seem to defy genre labels.

This was last weeks topics but I was struggling to think of anything for this week’s topic so I’m just going to go with it.

The books are listed in no particular order.

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

If you’ve been around my blog or Instagram for a while you may notice that I’ve become completely obsessed with Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series. This book is one the list because I think it’s been marketed as a romance, which it definitely is, but that doesn’t take away from the urban fantasy, sci-fi elements that help to round out this world.

If you’re looking for a urban series that is filled with political intrigue and swoon worthy romances please, please pick this up!

Bayou Born by Hailey Edwards

This books is part detective mystery, part urban fantasy. I know it’s being marketed as an urban fantasy but the detective procedure is just as important to the plot. Which maybe a trope in urban fantasy but I still wanted to mention it!

Sound interesting I have uploaded a full review if you want to know more!

Cross Stitch/Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

Time travel, romance all set in the Scottish Highlands in the 16th century. This was the first historical time travel novel and I, like everyone else, am completely in love with it. Diana has done a fantastic job of balancing the sci fi and historical elements.

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Adventure, coming of age, romance, fantasy, retelling and historical fiction are just a few of the genres I can think that fits this novel. Madeline weaves together all these elements seamlessly in her beautifully lyrical writing. This is one of my favourite books of all time because it’s one of the few that actually shows the romance between Achilles and Patroclus. Highly, highly recommend!

Cassandra by Kerry Greenwood

Kerry Greenwood bring the myth of the Trojan War to life complete with the fantastical Gods and well researched time setting. Myth and history intertwine to give voice to silenced Trojan Princess, Cassandra.

I have a full review of this one if you’re interested! This one might be hard to track down if you don’t like in Australia, but trust me it’s worth the effort if you do!

That’s all for me. Comment down below and let me know if you’ve read any of these or some of your favourite genre defying books.
Until next time, happy reading!
Dearna

Bayou Born

On November 6, 2017November 6, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Review2 Comments

Author: Hailey Edwards Bayou Born

Publisher: Hachette Australia

Published: 31 October 2017

Rating: 4 stars

‘The urge to pat him came out of nowhere. One did not pat grown men in praise for learning a new trick.’

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

This book is a mystery, thriller all wrapped up in an urban fantasy bow. Bayou Born follows the story of strange wild child who was found in the swampy bayou of Canton, Mississippi. She had no memories, no family and is covered in mysterious markings; swirls of metal bands embedded into her skin. The policeman, Edward Boudreau, who rescued her, adopts her. 15 years later Luce follows in the footsteps of her beloved father and joins the police force determined to prove her worth and distance herself from her controversial past.

Luce and her partner, Rixton, are working on finding missing girl, Angel Claremont, when there’s a call about a body in the swamp. On arrival they discover this isn’t the girl they were looking for because of the strange markings on her skin. Markings that match Luce’s own. A freelance security group called The White Horse show up on the scene to help. They’ve been hired by Angel’s parents to help with the rescue effort. The security group stays to help fish out the unconscious Jane Doe. Hope blooms within Luce. Maybe this is her chance to find out about her past, a chance to learn about her markings and her family. From here the story unfolds with Luce trying to find the missing girl and helping Jane Doe. However, there’s more of a battle ahead than Luce could possibly imagine. She may be an orphan without a past, but no one – including Luce herself – could ever be prepared for the truth of her dark, powerful destiny.

This was a fantastic start to a new series. The world building was amazing. I really enjoyed that we got to spend time with Luce and get to know the cases she’s working on before the fantastical elements kicked in. It was like the more Luce unraveled in the case the more it became obvious that it wasn’t the work of a regular person. The magic elements went in a direction that I did not expect but I super glad they did. I haven’t read many books like it.

I love seeing the relationship Luce had formed and how different they were. I also adore that a female friendship, between Luce and schoolteacher, Maggie, was at the heart of this novel. These relationships are hugely important to see especially given the bullying and ostracised nature of how the other people in Canton treat her.

Luce herself is a well-crafted character. Yes she is snarky and gives off a vibe of apathy but that’s not all. We see just how much she does care through her relentless word effort. She wants to fit it so much, despite what she may say, that she join a career where the staff take care of one another. Her humor is darkly funny and at time self-deprecating which again is another layer to keep her from being venerable. I found her highly relatable.

I cannot wait for the second book! So many questions left unsaid. Highly recommend for any urban fantasy fan out there.

October 2017 Wrap Up

On November 3, 2017December 22, 2018 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Wrap UpLeave a comment

Hello!

I am here with my October 2017 Wrap Up! These are the book I read in October, I kinda failed on the horror, spooky reading but hey Halloween is every day so I’ll get to all those spooky books sometime.

I read a total of 11 books which was way more than I thought. I read 1 Poetry Collection, 1 Middle Grade, 1 Historical Fiction, 1 Horror and 7 Fantasy.

Onto the ratings!

Continue reading “October 2017 Wrap Up” →

Dust of Many

On October 31, 2017November 8, 2017 By Dearna_MulvaneyIn Review1 Comment

Dust Of Many Cover Front

Author: Brian M. Oldham
Published: December 2017
Rating: 4 stars

‘My hopes are my own,” she replied, squeezing Minia’s hand. “No one owns my dreams.”

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own.

The Sarpathian people are under rule of a barbaric nation after the catastrophic defeat on the pains of Godsfeld. Their emperor, Leo Dillianos of the House of Lily was dethroned and sent to live out the rest of his days in exile; his heir, Serilla, taking in by their enemy; and the surviving soldier’s, like Ward Captain Hyde, lock in chains and sold as slaves. In the three years since that battle a revolution has been bubbling and is about ready to attack. Forgotten by myth and memory a long burnished power begins its ascension — a power that may redeem or end the world once and for all. Will the Sarpathian Empire survive or crumbling into the history books?

I picked this book up because I really loved the sound of the premise, however struggled a little with it at the start. This is because I haven’t read much traditional style, epic fantasy so this was new to me and took a bit of a learning curve. Overall it was Serilla’s character and the world that peaked my interest and kept me reading, which I’m so glad I did.

The book is split into four perspectives— exiled Emperor Leo Dillianos, Leo’s daughter and empress to be Serilla Dillianos, the traitorous, smoothing talking Tarjun and Sarpathian Ward Captain Hyde. Not all characters get an equal amount of chapters, in fact I’d say the two main protagonist are Serilla and Hyde.

We see every little of this world, but the little we see I’m already in love with. We see the castle of Sarpathia and the ruins of the city. We also get to experience the shocking hardships of the mines and gladiatorial arenas all covered in gritty sand and blistering heat. The magic in this world is quite subtle so far and I’m looking forward to seeing which direction Oldhamn takes it.

Overall this is a pretty great start to a new series! I have so many questions and I need to know the answers. Highly recommend if you’re interested in epic fantasy.