Hello!
I am here with my November 2017 Wrap Up! These are the book I read in November. I took part in Nonfiction November and am very pleased that I read 3 nonfiction books, which doubles the nonfiction I’ve read this year.
I read a total of 10 books which was way more than I thought. I read 3 Nonfiction, 1 Contemporary, 2 Historical Fiction, and 4 Fantasy.
Onto the ratings!
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!
Speaking of NaNoWriMo, I am currently participating so hence why this post is late. Sorry!
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.
All the authors are listed in no particular order. And they’re all amazing and highly recommend that you read their work!
I am in awe of this women’s work! They way she is able to add in all the necessary historical details and settings without getting in the way of her story. Also all her books are massive but don’t feel dragged out or weighed down by the page numbers. Penman’s ability to weave in the history and bring characters to life is something I’d like to achieve in my own work. When reading her books she has me hoping that maybe something different will happen and leaves me devastated it plays out like the history and tragedy ensues.
I fell in love with Kirsty Logan’s work from the opening line of The Gracekeepers. Her poses has a poetic beauty and there’s a fairytale whimsy to her worlds that I adore. The way she’s able to mix fairytales with her narrative while given them new life is amazing—especially since I see ‘fairytale inspired’ or ‘fairytale retelling’ and by the book. I am so excited for a new book with is coming out next year. I love the fact that she uses the fairytales and folklore of her Scottish homeland. For me, I would love to be able to write in a lyrical fashion and weave in the folk stories I love.
Lani Taylor is a new discover for me, I read her Daughter of Smoke and Bone series earlier this and damn this girl can write! The prose is lyrical and her description are poetic. The world she created in this series is stunning and unlike any that I’ve read before and she has this way of uncovering the world and the creatures slowly revealing more each book. She’s found a way to balance a beautiful writing style with engaging and inventive world building and that this why she’s on this list.
F. Scott Fitzgerald is hands down one of my favourite writers—next year I am hoping to read the rest of his works. His writing is breathtaking and feels effortless. He has a way of creating these deeply profound but succinct character descriptions. The way he built his characters was incredible. They are all deeply flawed human beings who at times frustrate you. His stories aren’t plot driven and it’s his group of very unlike characters that pull you through the narrative. You may not like them but you sure what to know how their lives turned out and if they will pay for their horrid life choices. I hope that I can learn something from his work and be able to create complex and engaging characters.
Conn Iggulden’s Wars of the Roses series is amazing—even if he took the Shakespearian approach to my poor Richard. What makes his work so amazing is that he’s able to make these historical figures feel like fully formed people, like what you get in a fantasy or contemporary novel. All the history is there but it seems to unfold from these characters effortlessly so much so that at times I had to remind myself what genre I was reading. I am definitely going to pick up his other series. I’m interested to see what he’s done with The Huns and the Romans. I would love to be able to make historical characters feel like vivid and like they could jump of the page at any moment.
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
Hi again! it’s Wednesday so here is a Top 5 Wednesday. Today’s topic is the books we’re thankful for.
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.
The books are listed in no particular order.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
The books are listed in no particular order.
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!
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!
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.
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!
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
Author: Hailey Edwards
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.
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!
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.
Hello!
How are you? Tell me all the things you’re reading!
Today I thought I do something a little different and share with you 5 books I have yet to read but think will be 5 star reads. I’ve been wanting to do this since I saw Mercedes from Mercy’s Bookish Musings video. I think it’s a really interesting exercise in seeing just how well you know your own reading tastes.
So the way this works is that I will share with you 5 books I think will be new favourites and why I think so. Then, once I’ve read them all, I will come back and share my thoughts and rating and see if I was right.
Onto the books!
I recently went to the Historical Novel Society of Australasia’s conference and got to hear Kate Forsyth talk — spoiler she was amazing! This book tells the story of Dortchen Wild the wife of Wilhelm Grimm and how she share fairytales with her husband. This sounds like it is going to be a perfect mix of fairytale and history and I can’t wait.
I’ve had this book to me recommended so many times by people who I trust so I think I should just get to it. It was everything I love in a book, awesome historical setting, magic, young adult protagonist, with a bit of crime.
For me, this might be a safe bet seeing how I have yet to give any Sharon Penman book less than 5 stars. But I thought I’d include it because it is the last in the series and that always worries me a little. This is the third in her Welsh Prince’s trilogy and follows Llewlyn, Prince of Wales who finds himself on a collision course with the feudal realm of Edward I.
The Princess Bride is hands down one of my favourite movies, Westley was my first movie crush. I am hoping the book will also become a favourite. I have high hopes because William Goldman also wrote the screenplay. This story has everything; humour, fencing, fighting, true love, giants, revenge and pirates. What else do you need?
This is a book I brought because of the cover and I kept hearing about it. It’s not a period of history that I normally read but was one I saw drawn to after seeing it Historia Magazine. I haven’t hear anything else about this books but I’m excited. It follows silent actress, Leda Grey and her volatile love affair that left her recluse for over half a century.
That’s it for me. Comment down below and let me know what books you think will be 5 star reads.
Until next time, happy reading!
Dearna
wordsoftheroses.com 