Book Review: The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies

September 2, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

The Tea Planter’s Wife by Dinah Jefferies
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was something very different from my usual read but I thought the description sounded good and it has some great reviews so decided to give it a try. Unfortunately it kind of reminded me why I don’t tend to read this type of book. I just couldn’t connect with the characters.

The story begins with 19 year old Gwen arriving alone in Ceylon to meet the man she recently married, Laurence. Laurence owns a tea plantation in Ceylon and, while overwhelmed by the change in her life, Gwen is very much in love with him and can’t wait to join him.

When he meets her in Colombo it seems all is well but as soon as they reach the plantation things change. Laurence becomes distant and is keeping secrets from her, there is unrest amongst the workers and Gwen is struggling to find her place and role. She begins to feel very much alone with no one to trust or confide in. When things finally start to improve Gwen is forced to make a terrible choice between her husband and her child but can she live with her choice.

Essentially it’s a story about secrets and lies and the damage they can do to a person and a relationship. Almost everyone in the book seems to be keeping some secret from everyone else and there are some complex moral dilemmas. It’s an interesting story that does keep you reading in the hope that you can get to the truth.

While the plot is interesting I found the pacing of the story a little bit slow. However, for me, the biggest problem in the book was Gwen. I’m afraid I couldn’t relate to her and I don’t think I even particularly liked her. At the start of the book she came across as very brave, marrying a man much older than herself and travelling from England to Ceylon alone to be with him. As the story went on though I started to feel she was quite naive and gullible and generally quite weak which I found frustrating. I wanted to shake her and tell her to get a grip, stop trusting everyone (particularly those who clearly have it in for you) and stand up for yourself. Most of my sympathy was with her husband and the others in the household rather than with Gwen and as a result I didn’t enjoy the book as much as I could have.

There are some great descriptions of Ceylon and life on a tea plantation at that time which I found fascinating but I think I just find the differences in attitudes and behaviour difficult to relate to. I’m not sure how keen I’ll be to read any more historical fiction for that reason.

Overall, I’d rate it as OK. I think those who love period family sagas will love it but unfortunately I’m not one of those people.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing me with a free advance copy in exchange for an honest review. It will be on general release on 3rd of September for those interested.

Book Review: Monster by C.J. Skuse

August 26, 2015August 26, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Monster by C.J. Skuse
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

For me what makes a movie scary is what you don’t see rather than what you do and it’s exactly the same with books. I want mystery and suspense, strange noises in the middle of the night, a glimpse of something in the corner of your eye, unexplained disappearances and suspicion of those around you. Getting the right balance between suspense and action is difficult but I have to admit Monster by C.J. Skuse gets it almost spot on.

This story is set in a boarding school and follows a small group of girls who find themselves having to stay at the school over the Christmas holidays as their parents either can’t get to them or are too busy for them. They aren’t exactly happy about being stuck with each other but things take a turn for the creepy when a heavy snow storm arrives, matron goes missing and the phones go dead. They are left stranded and alone miles from the nearest village with no way to get help. When they start hearing strange noises during the night it seems something may be hunting them but is it the beast from local legends, something or someone in the woods or could it be someone inside the school. The girls have to put aside their differences and pull together if they want to survive.

I thought this was a really enjoyable and gripping story and it kept me guessing throughout. Was it the beast, someone more human or was the whole thing in their imagination? The pacing is very good and the tension and suspense build and build until a pretty explosive conclusion. I found myself shouting instructions at the characters, “phone the police”, “run” or “don’t go out there alone” but that is part of the fun of a good horror/mystery story. It definitely had me on the edge of my seat at times.

There is a fairly good mix of characters amongst the girls including rebel Maggie who is desperate to be expelled, Dianna the school brown nose, Clarice the mean girl and Regan the outcast. The story however is told from the point of view of Natasha (Nash) who is 16, a long term boarder and favourite to become head girl at the school. She is the do gooder, bossy, know it all who pretty much runs the school but somehow manages to be likeable. At the start of the book her brother has gone missing, Clarice has it in for her and Dianna is trying to usurp her position in the school. Safe to say she is a bit stressed so having to take charge pushes her pretty much to the edge and made me question what was real.

The one criticism I did have of this book was that I thought some of the girls backgrounds were unnecessary and unrealistic. They didn’t really add anything to the story and I would have preferred something a little simpler but that’s probably just me.

Overall it’s a great page turner that I couldn’t put down so I’d definitely recommend it to anyone who likes a creepy story full of tension and mystery.

Big thanks to the wonderful people at NetGalley and Harlequin UK for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. The story will be published at the end of September.

Book Review: A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston

August 25, 2015August 25, 2015 Ali@abookishlife2 Comments

A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I finished this book a couple of days ago but I’ve been feeling a bit conflicted about it and have been struggling to find the right words to describe it. The ones that immediately jump to mind are unique, magical, beautiful, captivating, weird, confusing and, I’m really sorry to say this, kind of boring.

I really, really wanted to like this book. If you’re a regular follower of my reviews you will have noticed that I’m a big fan of books that re-tell the classics, particularly if they add a bit of a unique twist. I was so excited when I saw this book. The cover is stunning and it’s based on one of my favourite stories “A Thousand and One Nights”. I have to admit however I found it a bit of a disappointment. Maybe my hopes were too high but I get the feeling that this is one of those books that people will either love or hate.

This retelling starts in a similar way to the original as our main character marries a king, Lo-Melkiin, notorious for killing his wives. By the time he reaches her village in search of a wife he has killed over 300 women so she knows there is little hope of surviving but she is willing to give her life to protect her sister. When she gets to the palace no one will meet her eye or speak with her as they are all sure of her fate. While servants pamper, bathe and dress her she is left to her own thoughts and company until evening comes and the king arrives. Miraculously she survives first one night and then another and another.

Meanwhile back at her home her sister has already begun to mourn her. She sets up a shrine in her honour making her a “smallgod”. As word of her bravery and her continuing survival starts to spread from village to village across the kingdom, more and more people begin to worship her. Within the palace things also begin to change, the members of the court begin to talk with her and treat her as a queen. Our heroine also begins having visions and develops powers which allow her to manifest the objects she dreams of. As her power grows, belief starts to spread that she could be the one to defeat the monster within the king and save the kingdom.

Despite my rather low rating there were quite a few things I loved about this book. I loved it’s originality both in terms of plot and writing style. While it is based on a classic tale it takes it in a very new and different direction which I really liked. The writing itself is also very different and unique. There is a lot of flowing narrative, vivid descriptions of dreams and visions as well as a very different world and way of life. I can appreciate the beauty in the writing and I think for this reason alone a lot of people will love this story.

Personally however, I felt it was short on dialogue and emotion. There is very little action within the first three quarters of the book. A girl is wed to a king and goes to stay in a palace where she eats, bathes, dresses, spins or weaves, and dreams. Once a night she is visited by the king who asks her a couple of questions, touches her in some way (holds her hand, grips her arm) and then leaves and she sleeps. There are none of the stories from the original work like Aladdin or Alibabah, so if you are expecting them you will be very disappointed.

There are in fact very few stories at all. Those that do appear are memories from her home and stories of her ancestors and smallgods. They are not told but remembered and as a result there is no questioning or interruptions, no dialogue and mostly serve to provide more substance to her background. Generally I found them difficult to focus on and tended to skim through to try and get to some action. There are a couple of interesting stories, most notably one with a talking camel, but a lot were stories about things she did with her sister or mother such as making a dress or looking after a flock of sheep. Maybe I missed something or didn’t look deep enough to get to the meaning. Possibly others will get more from them.

The other thing I found frustrating is that there are very few characters within the story who have names. The name of the main character is never revealed. She is referred to as “daughter”, “sister” and “lady bless” but never by a name. Her family are referred to by their relationship to her for example, “sister”, “mother”, “my sister’s mother”, and even my “father’s father’s father”. I found this a little confusing at times and had to think through the relationships to work out who people were. I can understand why the author decided to do this however, I found it difficult to connect with the characters. I didn’t feel any of the emotion I should have felt and this, combined with a lack of dialogue, meant that overall the whole story left me cold.

I will recommend that this book be read rather than avoided. While I didn’t like it I have to admit it is very different and I think a lot of people will love it.

Note: I received a free ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. It will be released at the start of October.

Book Review: Puss in Boots by K.M. Shea

August 22, 2015August 22, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Puss in Boots by K.M. Shea
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It’s a book with a talking cat, a feisty heroine, adventure, romance, an ogre and magic. What more could you want? Did I mention the talking cat? I love a talking cat.

This is the sixth book in KM Shea’s timeless fairytales series but is actually a prequel to Wild Swans, an earlier book in the series. While there is some overlap with this book it still works really well as a standalone.

The story follows Gabrielle, the Miller’s daughter and one of the most beautiful girls in the land. Unfortunately her beauty brings her unwanted attention. She is unable to walk through town without boys propositioning her and girls hating her. When her parents decide to leave her with no inheritance but the stray cat that has been hanging around it’s the last straw. They insist she marry immediately to secure her future but she longs for freedom and the life of an adventurer.

As it turns out the cat, is a magical cat who can talk. He offers to accompany her on her quest for adventure if she will buy him a pair of boots. Together they end up travelling across the land from village to village battling magical creatures including goblins, witches, a mean old fairy and the gingerbread man. However Puss in Boots has a bit of an ulterior motive involving a quest for power and an ogre.

I thought this book was a really enjoyable read. It has a great pace that keeps you reading and weaves in threads from a number of different fairytales. Gabrielle was a likeable enough character however the highlight for me was Puss.

Puss, or Roland Archibald Whisperpaws the Fifth to give him his proper name, was a fantastic character and just how you imagine a talking magical cat would be. He likes everything his own way and will decide if you are worthy to be his owner. Should you be deemed worthy of the honour of becoming his mistress you will be required to obey his every command. He is affectionate on his terms only and does not take kindly to being loaned out to the village children for a game of dress up.

As a magical cat he is of course very intelligent and a cut above your average moggy, which you should never forget. He is perfectly comfortable chatting to the king and is supremely confident in any situation. Basically he was a cat and he was fabulous.

For me Puss made the story great but then I am a cat lover. I’m sure however that everyone will enjoy this magical tale of love and adventure.

The other great thing about this book is that it gives me an excuse to include a picture of my cat in a post so here he is looking decidedly evil.

Book Review: The Little Selkie by KM Shea

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

The Little Selkie by K.M. Shea
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m a big fan of KM Shea and her timeless fairytale series. Each book re tells one of the classic fairytales but has a little bit of a twist. They always have great female characters and this one is no exception.

This time the story is based on the little mermaid, however rather than a mermaid, who are apparently silly and vain, we have a selkie, Dylan. A selkie is a magical creature which has the form of a seal (or in Dylan’s case a Sea lion) in water but which can become human on land by shedding their pelt. Their role is to use water magic to protect the seas and rescue silly humans who go sailing in storms and get in trouble.

When Dylan goes chasing after the sea witch who has been terrorising their territories she gets captured and her pelt stolen meaning she is unable to return to the sea. Afraid the sea witch will force her to use her magic she asks a passing enchantress to seal her voice. When the bandits holding her take her to the palace she has to figure out what their plan is, recover her pelt and get her voice and power back to defeat the witch and return to the sea.

I did enjoy this book but I felt it was one of the weaker books in the series. The story seemed a little uneven. Parts such as the start seemed rushed whereas others were overly long. There were a few characters who seemed to pop up out of nowhere and disappear after a few pages with little explanation.

I did however really like Dylan as a character. I loved the fact that she really didn’t care about how she looked or whether people were talking about her. She let people dress her in whatever and only really reacted to comments if they hurt those she cared about. Some of her reactions to the bullying popular girls were priceless. She was a little reckless and didn’t back down from a fight. The best bits for me though were where she was obsessing about food. I think she spent most of the story thinking about, talking about or eating food.

Her interactions with the Prince made me laugh a lot and there were a lot of funny incidents however I think it was probably meant for a younger audience than me as some of it was a little silly.

Overall therefore I enjoyed it but it wasn’t as good as some of the others in the series such as Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast. Definitely a great book for young adults and I think it should be suitable for young readers.

Book Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas (Throne of Glass book 2)

August 16, 2015 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One word. Wow.

This was incredible. I loved the first book in the series but this one just took it to a whole new level.

The action kicks in from the very first page with Celaena on a mission to kill someone for the king. She has signed her contract as kings champion which means she has no choice but to do or kill whatever the king commands. Failure would mean forfeiting the lives of those she cares about and losing her chance for freedom but can she really go against her conscience and kill for a man she hates.

The one perk of her job is that she gets to spend more time with the Captain of the Guard Chaol and her friend, the rebel Princess Nehemia. While she hates her work and is forced to keep secrets, Celaena finds love and starts to think she could have some chance at happiness and freedom. However, as she becomes caught between the evil king and the rebel movement the secrets everyone seems to be keeping cause everything to fall apart and we finally start getting to the truth.

I loved this book so much it is definitely moving to my favourites list. There is so much action and so many twists and turns it’s like an emotional rollercoaster. I wanted to laugh and cry, sometimes at the same time. Around the halfway point I was actually scared to read any further as I just had such an awful feeling as to what was coming. I wanted to read it but wasn’t sure I was ready for what I just knew would happen.

While this is fantasy, the story and characters just feel so real and believable. We finally got to see Celaena as the incredible assassin that she is. I definitely wouldn’t mess with her when she’s in one of those moods. The author said she was inspired by the bride in Kill Bill and there were sections where you could definitely see that (think of the epic sword fight and you get the idea). We also got to see more of her softer side and found out a lot more of her background.

The relationship between her and Chaol shifted and changed throughout the story but always felt right and natural. There wasn’t the usual teenage angst or melodrama and while there is a bit of a love triangle it’s much more grown up and real and it’s not the focus of the story.

Overall, exciting, sweet, violent, sad, magical and horrific…wow.

Book Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas (book 1)

August 12, 2015 Ali@abookishlife4 Comments

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

My rating: 4.5 stars

I knew almost from the first page that this was the start of a great series and was only about a quarter of the way through when I went hunting for the next book in the series. I just knew this was one of those series that I wasn’t going to be able to stop reading until it was finished.

The story follows Celaena, world’s greatest assassin and 18 year old girl. When the book starts she’s serving out a prison sentence doing hard labour in the salt mines where typical life expectancy is a couple of months due to the harsh treatment and lack of food. She has so far lasted a year and, while still alive, is not in the best of shape physically or mentally. When the crown Prince offers her the chance to win her freedom by competing to become the kings champion (assassin) she feels it’s her only chance to get her life back despite potentially having to work for a family she despises. If nothing else, getting out of the mines may give her a chance to escape.

From the mines Celaena travels to the glass palace where she has to work to regain her strength, compete against 23 other challengers with varying backgrounds including thieves, assassins, soldiers, mercenaries and murderers. There can however only be one winner with the losers returning to wherever they came from should they survive which for Celeana means the mines and certain death.

I thought this was a fantastic story. While there are some familiar elements such as the competition, a love triangle, a mysterious past and spirits, fae and demons they are put together in a way that feels original and really works.

It’s an easy read with a lot of action that keeps you reading when you really should be doing something else (like sleeping or eating). The characters are likeable, Celaena in particular. She is a fighter, who is determined to win but is also quite lonely and desperate for friends. She does come across a bit vain and arrogant but she’s also quite funny and more protective than you would expect an assassin to be.

My main criticism however and the reason I couldn’t give 5 stars is that I really couldn’t believe the whole world’s greatest assassin bit. There was way too much crying, fear and depending on others to make it a believable claim. Also maybe the fact she kept trying to save people rather than kill them made it difficult to accept. I’m guessing however if she did spend all of her time going round killing people she probably wouldn’t have been so likeable.

Anyway, it’s been at least 12 hours since I finished so it’s time I got started on the next in the series. Can’t wait to find out what happens next and possibly get to the bottom of some of the mysteries.

Book Review: Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

August 3, 2015September 20, 2015 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

Pretty Baby by Mary Kubica

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I’d been on a bit of a break from psychological thrillers as I was really struggling to find any good ones. I tend to find those books with loads of 5 star ratings are a bit of a let down. This however is definitely one of the good ones. It draws you in right from the start and doesn’t let go until the very end.

The central focus of the story is Heidi, who on her commute to work sees a young girl with a baby standing on the train platform with a small suitcase. She becomes concerned when she comes across the girl and baby a couple more times and realises they are homeless. Wanting to do something to help she takes the girl for a meal and ends up inviting her into her home. Her husband Chris and daughter Zoe are less than impressed with the bedraggled, dirty and secretive girl who comes into their home with a screaming, sick baby. Chris worries that the girl could be dangerous but Heidi is determined she stay. The big question is should they be worried about her and her mysterious past or is there something closer to home that should concern them.

The story is told from three different perspectives, Heidi, Chris and Willow (the girl on the platform). Heidi is the one who takes a chance on a stranger, loves her family and has a strong social conscience. Chris is the practical investment banker, who wants to protect his family but is distracted by an attractive co worker and Willow is the young girl with a troubled past. However all is not as it seems and there are a lot of twists and turns in this gripping tale.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author and I don’t think it will be the last. I really like her writing style. It’s very atmospheric and really sweeps you into the story and the minds of the protagonists.

As you can probably tell I really, really liked this book and I think it may have restored my love for psychological thrillers.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for providing me with a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Ignited by Laurie Wetzel

August 1, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Ignited by Laurie Wetzel

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Maddy and MJ are back at last in the second book in the Unclaimed series. I read the previous book a few months ago and was really looking forward to this one. While I enjoyed the first book it left a lot of questions unanswered and I was keen to get to the truth of who or what is Maddy?

The story picks up immediately after the first book with Maddy recovering from her ordeal at the hands of demon Justin, starting a relationship with angel and Protector MJ and learning how to control her newly discovered powers. While she could probably have done with a bit of down time to adjust to all the changes the action kicks in again almost immediately. Justin’s obsession with her is growing and he’s even more determined to get her to sign over her soul to him. In addition, her inability to keep control of her powers starts to bring her to the attention of more angels and demons and possibly the serial killer from the first book.

To top it all off her new relationship starts to run into problems as she finds out some things about MJ she doesn’t like and he becomes overprotective, controlling and secretive.

Overall I think this has the potential to be a really great book. All of the key ingredients are there, a strong female lead, forbidden love, discovering powers and heaven and hell on the brink of all out war but it just doesn’t quite work yet.

For me this book suffers from a lot of the same issues as the previous one. The beginning is confused. There is too much thrown in, a lot of different characters, new words and new worlds and not enough explanation. I’d read the first book and I was a little confused with this so I’m not sure how new readers would cope. This is probably not helped by the narration switching between the characters of Maddy, MJ and Justin. If this was simplified it would be so much better.

There are a few characters that I think could be cut quite easily such as her group of friends whose names I can’t even remember because they appear so briefly and there are so many of them. As Maddy is supposedly a bit of a loner who pushes people away it doesn’t seem consistent to her character to have half a dozen close friends. There were also a few scenes I didn’t see the point of but who knows perhaps they will be important in future books.

What I did like in this book however was some of the new characters. I got to meet and learn more about some of the other Protectors with my particular favourite being Alexander. I found out more about both heaven and hell and the hierarchy of each and through Maddy’s dreams we found some answers to some of the questions (although there are still a lot more unanswered).

Once I got to the halfway point I have to admit I was starting to really enjoy it but I am frustrated because it could be so much better. I will still recommend it (if you’ve read Unclaimed first) and I will no doubt read the next one because I want to know what happens.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Fatal Pursuit by Elisabeth Naughton

July 20, 2015July 20, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Fatal Pursuit by Elisabeth Naughton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Completely ridiculous but I loved it.

This is the third book in the Aegis series and this time the story focuses on boss of the security firm Jake Ryder and Assistant Marley Addison. Feeling frustrated and angry with Jake for taking advantage of her loyalty to the firm and leaving her out of plans Marley is on the brink of quitting when she receives a distress call from an ex she thought was dead.

Thinking this is a good way to prove her ability as an operative and assuage some of her guilt over how things ended with her ex, Marley steals/borrows her boss’s plane and heads to Columbia to rescue him. Jake, being a little angry about her stealing his plane and worried about her heading off to Columbia alone, soon tracks her down and decides to help her track down her ex. They journey through the jungle together and have to learn to rely and trust each other in order to survive.

It’s safe to say that sparks really fly between Jake and Marley. This is one of the best romance/thriller/adventure books I’ve read in a while. The section in the jungle reminded me a lot of the film Romancing the Stone however Marley is far from the damsel in distress and really proves her survival skills. She shows Jake just how much he’s underestimated her and ends up having to save him a few times. Jake is forced to reconsider his perception of her and starts to notice just how attractive she is but being a commitment phobe he’s scared to act on it.

There is a lot of action in the book as they run into paramilitary groups, mercenaries, local tribes and a landslide and their troubles aren’t over when they finally find the truth. As I said a lot of the story borders on ridiculous but if you relax and just go with it it’s a great read. There was one scene in particular that reminded me of when we first meet the Ewoks in Star Wars (if you read it you’ll know what I mean) and it was hilarious.

The characters are fantastic and Marley in particular is very likeable. The relationship is hot, hot, hot and there are some really steamy scenes dotted throughout as well as some fiery arguments.

If you’re looking for some escapism, adventure and romance I’d definitely recommend it.

Big thanks too to NetGalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.