WWW Wednesday – 30 September 2015

September 30, 2015September 30, 2015 Ali@abookishlife4 Comments

Yesterday I participated in my very first book tag so I’ve decided to keep trying new things and am taking on my very first meme. I’ve seen the WWW Wednesday meme popping up a lot and it looks fun so thought I’d give it a go. The WWW Wednesdays meme is currently hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.

WWW Wednesday The three W’s are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

So here’s my W’s for the week.

Currently Reading

Yesterday I started Wendy Darling by Colleen Oakes. As you may have noticed I’m a big fan of fairytale re-tellings so when I spotted this new version of Peter Pan I couldn’t resist. I read Neverland by Anna Katmore back in April so this is my second Peter Pan book this year. This one however seems much more of a classic re-telling than Neverland which put a bit of a twist on the characters. Really enjoying it so far, finding it quite dark and sinister. Peter is kind of giving me the creeps but then I think there is something a bit odd about a boy who doesn’t want to grow up and seems to want to collect little boys.

If you look to the widgets on the right you will also see I’m currently reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I started this a few weeks ago got about half way through and came to a stop. Not sure I will ever actually manage to finish it. I’m obviously not that effective.

Recently Finished

My most recent read is Genie by Kitty French. Kitty French is the other pen name of Kat French who wrote one of my favourite books this year, The Piano Man Project.

This is a little more X rated than the Piano Man Project but I thought it was a great read. She’s a burlesque dancer and he’s the owner of a chain of gyms who wants to buy the theatre where she works and hates “strippers”. There are a lot of arguments and an undeniable attraction between the two of them. I’ll post a proper review soon but it’s definitely one I’d recommend if you like an erotic romance (and who doesn’t).

If nothing else don’t you just love the cover.

Reading Next

This is actually the hardest question for me as I usually don’t make up my mind till the very last possible moment. I currently have 103 books on my kindle TBR shelf so there are no shortage of options. It will no doubt depend on whether I feel like something light and funny or if I want something a bit darker.

I really, really want to read A Court of Thorns & Roses by Sarah J Maas but feel I should take a break for a month or so to recover from the last two books in the throne of glass series. I think therefore the most likely candidates for next read are either 3:34am by Nick Pirog or What Could Possibly Go Wrong by Jodi Taylor. Both are continuations of a series I love and are likely to be slightly silly reads.

So that’s my first set of W’s what do you think? Are there any other books I should add to my ever growing TBR pile?

The Emoji Book Tag

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

I’ve never actually tried a book tag before but was very excited to be tagged by Deanna at A Novel Glimpse for the Emoji Book Tag. Thank you Deanna I love your blog and am so happy to take up the challenge.

In this tag, you pair your five most used or recently used emojis to books. I may actually kill two birds with one story and use this as my List Five for this week. So here we go:

SMILEY FACE

A book that makes me smile seems like a really good place to start. There are quite a few books I’ve read recently that have made me smile but the one which had me smiling for days was The Piano Man Project by Kat French. It has some great funny dialogue between main characters Honey and Hal, rebellious pensioners fighting to save their care home and some romance and heat. A great read when you’re in need of a smile.

Synopsis from GoodReads

A delightfully romantic, heartwarming read for everyone who’s ever looked for The One and found someone better.

You: kind, piano-playing sex god
Me: hopelessly romantic charity shop manager

Honeysuckle Jones has a problem, and her best friends Nell and Tash are on a mission to help her solve it. She needs a man – a caring, intelligent, funny man. But most importantly, a man who’s good with his hands…

Luckily Honey’s new neighbour – moody, antisocial ex-chef Hal – fails on almost every count. Even though the chemistry between them is electric, he’s obviously wrong for her in every way.

But when Honey discovers the devastating reason for his moods she decides to give him another chance. And discovers that the best songs aren’t always in tune…

SHOCKED FACE

The last book that had me taking a sharp intake of breath and my jaw hitting the floor was Suicide Notes from Beautiful Girls. It’s a young adult book about a girl whose former best friend commits suicide during the school holidays but things may not be as straightforward as that. There are quite a few twists and turns in this story but there was one in particular around the halfway point that I really didn’t see coming.

GoodReads Synopsis

Pitched as Gone Girl meets Thirteen Reasons Why

June barely has time to mourn the death of her best friend Delia, before Delia’s ex-boyfriend convinces her Delia was murdered, and June is swept into a tangle of lies, deceit, and conspiracy.

LAUGHING FACE

Sometimes it seems that life is just that little bit too serious so it’s great when you find a book that gives you a bit of a giggle. Probably not the best idea to read it on the train unless you’re willing to get some very odd looks or bite very hard on the inside of your cheek. Thankfully I chose to read Sentencing Sapphire by Mia Thompson when I was home alone. It’s the third in the series about a society heiress who hunts serial killers in her spare time. There are a lot of hilarious rich people stereotypes and some great dialogue as well as a great fast paced story.

GoodReads Synopsis

A summer has passed since the catastrophe at the country club. Heiress and vigilante Sapphire Dubois has escaped to Paris, where she has shed her rich persona and lives as the infamous Serial Catcher. When the handsome Detective Aston Ridder tracks her down, Sapphire returns home to find Beverly Hills in chaos. A new vigilante has taken over Sapphire’s old job, and will stop at nothing to get her predecessor out of the way.

Meanwhile, a man with dark intentions and a deceiving smile has nestled his way into the rich community and is killing off heiresses. It doesn’t take long before Sapphire finds that this man, the next killer she has to catch, is none other than her estranged father. Already plagued by sickening memories, Sapphire is pushed to the limit when her father initiates a deranged game that threatens both her sanity and the lives of everyone around her.

While Aston struggles to keep the woman he loves from drowning in her father’s madness, Sapphire battles to outwit her merciless opponents before time runs out and more innocent blood is spilled.

EMBARRASSED FACE

Believe it or not my Mum’s kindle is hooked up to my Amazon account. This means any book I buy she has access to so for the most part I’m beyond being embarrassed by books. Once you’ve chatted to your almost 70 year old Mum about Fifty Shades of Grey (she didn’t like it) it doesn’t get much worse. What did embarrass me though was not the content of a book but the title. I read it while doing a team challenge on GoodReads and we needed the points so yep I admitted it. I read a book called “Prick”. I did actually really enjoy it but not the best title. I hope no one reading this is offended by bad language.

Goodreads Synopsis

I can’t stop thinking about that prick.
Caulter Sterling is a prick.
A filthy-mouthed, womanizing, crude, spoiled, arrogant prick.
The tattooed, pierced, panty-melting-hot son of a celebrity.
I hate him.
He’s slept his way through practically every girl at Brighton Academy.
Except for me.
I’m the good girl. The responsible girl. The 4.0, class president, studied-so-much-she-never-lost-the-big-V girl.
And in celebration of graduation and adulthood, I just made the worst decision in the history of ever.
I lost my V-card to the devil himself.
It was just one night. So what if it was mind-blowing? Hit it and quit it.
Except I just found out that my father – the Senator, the Presidential hopeful – is marrying Caulter’s mother. Oh, and this summer? We’re hitting the campaign trail.
One big happy family.
I’m totally f**ked.

CRYING FACE

The last book that had me crying my eyes out in the least dignified way possible was The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris. We’re talking huge, big, ugly sobs. I actually ran out of tissues and had to use toilet paper to dry my snot and tears. Think PS I Love You or One Day and you’ll know what I mean. I challenge anyone to read this and not have a bit of a bubble.

Synopsis from Amazon UK (for some reason Good Reads synopsis is in Croatian)

How do you hold on to a love that is slowly slipping away from you? Can you let go of the past when you know what is in the future? And how do you cope when you know that every kiss is a countdown to goodbye? This is the story of a love affair, of Ryan and Molly and how they fell in love and were torn apart. The first time Molly kissed Ryan, she knew they’d be together forever. Six years and thousands of kisses later she’s married to the man she loves. But today, when Ryan kisses her, Molly realises how many of them she wasted because the future holds something which neither of them could have ever predicted…

So that’s my five what’s yours? I tag the following fantastic blogs and anyone else who wants to take part.

Feel free to ignore if you’ve already been tagged.

Book Review: Nirvana by J.R. Stewart

September 29, 2015September 29, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Nirvana by J.R. Stewart
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I’d never heard of this author or novel until I came across it on NetGalley and was drawn in by the cover and description. The cover is one of the best I’ve seen in a while and the story puts a very unique twist on the usual young adult dystopian. It’s a great idea but for me the execution lets it down.

The story is set in a Canada of the future with barren landscapes, little in the way of food or resources (unless you’re one of the select few) and the threat of imminent extinction (known as the Annihilation). Larissa Kenders is a soldier at the Barracks who has recently lost her husband Andrew in some very mysterious circumstances. Andrew was a genius scientist employed to try to prevent the Annihilation who went out on a mission and never returned. Despite numerous searches his body was never recovered and Kenders has her doubts about whether he is actually dead.

She dreams about him regularly and when she visits virtual reality (pretty much the only form of entertainment available) he keeps appearing, assuring her that he is always with her. After a couple of unexplainable events she begins to believe Andrew is alive and somehow trapped in virtual reality but could that really be possible or is she just refusing to admit the truth. There is a lot of pressure on her to sign a certificate confirming his death but do her superiors have an ulterior motive. She has a choice, sign the paper and move on or keep searching for him and possibly lose everything.

As I said, I thought this was an excellent idea for a story. The world created is similar in some ways to that in the Hunger Games and a number of other dystopian stories. The population are segregated by class and live separately. The poorest are essentially slaves producing food and other resources at “the Farm”. The military are based at “the Barracks” and, while they don’t have many resources, are relatively well off. The elite, those who have a special talent or money, live a life of luxury in “the Bubble”. The whole system is controlled by a large corporation who have the population living in fear of the Annihilation. The technology is far advanced from what we have now and almost everything from the air, to the view can be created and modified. This raises the huge and fascinating question of if anything you imagine can be created how do you know what’s real and what’s fake?

There are however two major flaws with this story. The first is the lack of dialogue. The narrative is told in the third person and jumps between characters but is mostly what people are thinking or remembering rather than saying. It feels at times like information is being flung at you. For me a good dystopian fantasy reveals the world and the characters slowly and naturally. This is too sudden, lacks depth and therefore doesn’t feel particularly natural or real.

The lack of dialogue also makes it difficult to get a feel for the characters. Kenders seems likeable enough. She is quite determined, intelligent and clearly grieving which leads to some rather questionable decisions. Her friend Serge could have been an interesting character as he’s pretty conflicted. He cares about her and wants the best for her but as he’s been in love with her for years helping her find her husband may not be his number one priority. What wastes it however is yet again that his feelings are completely spelled out and therefore too obvious.

The second issue I had was the description of the technology and virtual reality in particular. I don’t have a particularly great knowledge of technology. I can turn a computer on and use it but don’t ask me how it does what it does. I seriously can’t comprehend wi fi (and as far as I’m concerned it’s magic) so maybe it’s just me but I really couldn’t follow the virtual reality part. I always thought virtual reality was wearing a helmet or plugging into a computer and living in a kind of dream world while your body stays wherever it is. I’m thinking more or less of The Matrix. However, this doesn’t describe it like that. It seems more like the holo deck in Star Trek where you’re completely immersed in what’s happening around you. As the technology is a key element to the story not being able to follow it is a big problem.

I did have an advance reader copy so it’s possible some of these issues will be resolved however based on this I don’t think I will be rushing to read the next in the series. I’d still like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy. If you want to give it a try it will be released on the 10th November.

Book Review: The House on Cold Hill by Peter James

September 28, 2015September 28, 2015 Ali@abookishlife1 Comment

The House on Cold Hill by Peter James
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is an up to date version of the classic haunted house story. I used to be a big fan of Peter James many years ago but for some reason I stopped reading him despite hearing some great things about his recent work. It’s also been a while since I read any proper horror stories but I have to admit I love a good creepy ghost story so couldn’t resist this book.

Like all good haunted house tales it starts with a nice young family moving in to their new home. Ollie Harcourt is a website designer and Cara, his wife, is a solicitor. They have a daughter, Jade, who is twelve years old and two cats, Bombay and Sapphire (named after the gin).

They’ve made a bit of money from the sale of their previous home and Ollie’s business and mortgaged themselves to the hilt to buy Cold Hill House. It’s an impressive big property which is in need of a lot of work however, despite Cara’s doubts, Ollie is confident that this could be their dream home. It’s not long though until they realise they aren’t alone in the house. As increasingly unexplainable things start to happen they begin digging into the history of the house and discover it’s dark past. Having ploughed all of their money into it they can’t afford to leave but is it safe to stay?

I thought this was a great example of a haunted house story. It has all of the classic creepy things I love such as faces at the windows of empty rooms, shadows moving in the next room and the cats behaving oddly. The author also manages to make it very current by building in more modern elements such as threatening text messages, some strange goings on with email and pictures appearing and disappearing from mobile phones. What I also liked was that the author didn’t resort to blood and gore to make it scary. There is a little but generally it’s a lot more subtle and for me creepier as a result. Events start quite slowly and escalate to a very gripping ending which I thought worked really well. I did think it lost a little pace in the middle but it definitely made up for it at the conclusion.

Main characters Ollie and Cara are likeable enough. They are sensible, rational and just want to be happy in their new home and do the best they can for daughter Jade. They have quite a stable and realistic relationship (there are the odd petty niggles but nothing too serious). Ollie is the adventurous entrepreneur and Cara is more of a pessimistic worrier but they balance each other out. For some reason though I couldn’t quite connect with them. I’m not entirely sure why. It may just be that they spent so much time worrying and being terrified or their determination to stay in the house and refusal to accept that anything is wrong. I found it so frustrating but I suppose if they’d thought “nah it’s a bit spooky here” and moved out there would have been no book.

The other characters only really appear briefly but they were definitely interesting and well described, from the builders working in the house to Cara’s psychic ex rocker client. One part I found fascinating was some of the alternative theories and explanations put forward by Ollie’s regular tennis opponent Bruce Kaplan, a computing science professor. It was good to have some kind of rational explanation as to what was happening even if it may not be true. It at least had the potential to make the existence of ghosts a bit more plausible for those who don’t believe.

Overall I thought this was an excellent and well written story with a good few chills. Definitely one for fans of ghost stories.

Note: This review is based on an ARC from NetGalley. It will be released on 8th October.

Book Review: Christmas Ever After by Sarah Morgan

September 25, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Christmas Ever After by Sarah Morgan
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

It’s a bright sunny day in September and I’m reading a Christmas book but do you know what it’s absolutely perfect. I was so excited to get a copy of this book from NetGalley and Harlequin that I had to read it immediately. The previous book in the Puffin Island series had a bit of a sneak peak at this one and based on that alone I knew I would love it. I was so right.

In previous meetings they have always seemed to rub each other up the wrong way but Alec comes to Sky’s rescue when she really needs someone. He takes care of her and takes her to his family home in the Cotswolds to make sure she’s OK. As they are forced to spend more time together the sparks flying between them could just set their relationship on fire but will one of them get burned.

I love Sarah Morgan’s books and for me this is one of her best books yet. Skylar and Alec were very likeable characters and I thought they had some great chemistry which in a book like this is by far the most important thing.

Skylar is bubbly, up beat creative, dreamy and smart. She knows what she wants out of life and isn’t afraid to go for it despite her extremely unsupportive family. She has the odd knock (mostly due to her family) but just keeps bouncing back. You can’t help but admire someone with that kind of resilience. Alec is dark, handsome, reserved, grumpy and secretly a knight in shining armour. He’s almost the opposite of Sky, shut off from the world and the possibility of love as a result of a past relationship that ended badly. He has some preconceived ideas about Sky which she proves to be completely wrong. The relationship between them is fiery to say the least but it also leads to some fantastic dialogue between the two of them which often made me laugh.

Despite being the third in the Puffin Island trilogy the story actually begins in the UK, in London and the Cotswolds, which I thought worked really well. It seemed so cosy and romantic spending time together with family in the countryside at Christmas. It also worked well in terms of shaking up Alec as he was subjected to the third degree by his parents and sister. I couldn’t think of a better way to spend the holidays and was a little disappointed when they headed back to the states and Puffin Island.

Once they were back on Puffin Island I felt like the story slowed down a little. There was too much time spent trying to define their relationship without ever talking to each about it. The fire from earlier in the story seems to fizzle out a little and turn into angst. I also felt like there was too much time spent trying to bring in the characters from the previous books. It didn’t feel very natural to me but I’m sure loads of readers will be desperate to know how they are getting on.

The story does pick up again towards the end and I thought the conclusion of the story was perfect.

Overall it’s definitely a great romantic read for Christmas, or any other time of year.

Book Review: Sentencing Sapphire by Mia Thompson

September 23, 2015September 23, 2015 Ali@abookishlife1 Comment

Sentencing Sapphire by Mia Thompson
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

If you’re looking for a deep, dark, psychological thriller about chasing down serial killers this is not the book for you. However, if you’re looking for an easy, funny, exciting read with some mystery, romance and a lot of action this book is perfect.

This is the third book in the Sapphire Dubois mystery series and one which I’ve been anxiously awaiting for ages. It seems like forever since I read Stalking Sapphire and Silencing Sapphire and I have been semi stalking Mia Thompson ever since to find the release date for this one.

The story starts with heiress and hunter of serial killers Sapphire Dubois on the run in Europe following the events at the end of the last book. Free from the constraints of her old life and reputation she’s enjoying not having to live a double life and can hunt serial killers to her hearts content. Her thoughts and dreams however keep wandering back to Detective Aston Ridder and everything she’s left behind.

When she finally decides to return home it seems her secret is out and she ends up in jail accused of murder and obstruction. She has to try to clear her name but to make things more difficult a copycat serial catcher is on the loose and Daddy is back and looking for Sapphire to join the family business (which is murder).

It had been so long since I read the first two books that I’d forgotten what it was I loved about them. However this was clear pretty much from the start of this instalment in the series.

Sapphire is a great character. She’s another kick ass heroine, intelligent, tough, independent, with a great sense of humour and a smart mouth. She seems to take most things in her stride from her latest run in with a killer to her completely crazy family and friends.

I have to admit though that Aston is my favourite character. He’s rude, curses pretty much non stop and I’m not sure how much thinking he does with his head (as opposed to other parts of his anatomy) but he does make me laugh. He definitely gets some of the best scenes and one liners. Notable examples being his choice of outfit to a masquerade ball and the morning after the night before when he wakes up at his bosses house.

Sapphire and Aston together make an explosive couple and their relationship fluctuates from love to hate from one page to the next. There is a clear attraction but being on different sides of the law causes them quite a few complications and some very funny interactions.

In addition to Sapphire and Aston there are a lot of great supporting characters including Aston’s partner Barry Harry, spoilt, shallow, billionaire heiress (and Sapphires BFF) Chrissy Kraft and possibly the thickest man ever John Vanderpilt. The stereotypes are played to the max but it totally works.

The plot itself is fast paced and exciting and as well as all of the laughs there is a lot of action. It is a who-dunnit as Sapphire has to figure out who the copycat is and solve her father’s riddles before someone she cares about gets hurt. I have to admit it kept me guessing and totally hooked throughout.

Overall I thought it was a great read and would recommend to anyone who likes a mystery that doesn’t take itself too seriously. I’m off to stalk the author some more until the next one comes out.

I received a free ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sunday Classic: To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

September 20, 2015September 20, 2015 Ali@abookishlife6 Comments

20150830_143335 It’s taken me a while but finally this is the first of my Sunday Classic features. I’ve set myself the goal of reading one classic novel a month and posting my thoughts on it. I’m hoping to widen my reading a bit beyond young adult, fantasy and romance and read some of those books considered classics. First up…

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

I thought a good one to start off would be To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This is pretty topical at the moment as it seems like everyone is reading it but believe it or not that wasn’t why I chose it. My reason was that it worked for a challenge I was doing and I found, and stole it from my parents house while they were away on holiday (don’t tell them). For once this meant I read an actual book (pictured right) and not an electronic one. Something I haven’t done in a while.

So, in addition to the theft of it from my parents house I have a couple of other confessions about this book. Firstly, I’d never read it. It seems at the moment like everyone is going on about how much they loved it when they were younger, how it influenced their life and changed them but I’d never had any inclination. To make things worse it turns out this is my father’s favourite book of all time. Based on that alone I probably should have read it sooner.

My second confession is that I almost gave up after three pages. I found it so difficult to understand the language in those first few pages I was tempted to chuck it and go find something easier for the challenge. I had no idea what was going on, who was telling the story or what half of the words actually meant. (This is the part where I probably did miss my kindle. It makes life so much easier to just highlight a word and get it’s meaning.) However, I did stick with it and read to the end and I’m kind of glad I did.

It turns out it was not at all what I expected. I haven’t seen the film so knew very little about it. I was expecting some kind of courtroom drama from the point of view of Atticus Finch. I didn’t realise the whole story was told from the point of view of his young daughter Scout and is more of a social commentary of the time than a courtroom drama (although there is a bit of that).

The whole thing gave such an incredible picture of life, growing up in that very different time with the social hierarchy that was just seen and accepted as the norm. Despite the different country, time and attitudes it felt like there were still a lot of similarities to when I was at school. There was that family who no one wanted anything to do with (something I feel guilty about now), we had a boy who just never came to class and I can remember playing in the street outside my home every evening and weekend until it got dark or we were called in for dinner.

I did love Scout. She is not the most reliable of narrators as you don’t always know everything that is going on and it feels like you miss some important things. However you can’t help but like her. She knows her own mind and just wants to be friends with everyone. She treats everyone the same and just doesn’t recognise the differences. In some ways she seems older than her age and the well thought out arguments with her father over why she shouldn’t have to go to school were hilarious. She isn’t afraid to say what she thinks and has a strong sense of right and wrong from her father Atticus.

Atticus is a likeable character and despite being a little distant seems to do a pretty good job of raising his two children. He comes across as wise, fair and more observant than Scout and her brother Jem believe. He’s obviously not happy about being landed with defending a black man accused of attacking a white woman but he does fight for what’s right even though he knows it’s a losing battle.

The scenes in the courtroom were some of the most gripping in the book and it is shocking how a group of people can destroy someone’s life based on their prejudices.

Overall I am glad I finally got round to reading it. The language was a struggle throughout and there are still parts I didn’t follow but I can understand why my Dad loves it so much.

Favourite quote from the book:

“With him, life was routine; without him, life was unbearable.”

Book Review: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

September 19, 2015September 19, 2015 Ali@abookishlife5 Comments

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

With five novellas together in one book this is a bit of a mixed bag. Some are better than others. Some I loved, some were great and one was just OK.

All are prequels to Throne of Glass and fill in a lot of the gaps of Celaena’s background as the worlds greatest assassin and the events leading up to her incarceration in the Endovian salt mines. I read this after Queen of Shadows (the fourth book in the series) but you could probably read it at any point. I kind of wish I’d read it before Queen of Shadows as it gives a lot of details as to why Celaena has such a grudge against certain people and there are a few characters that pop up in Queen of Shadows from these stories.

I should say I’m generally not a fan of novella’s or short stories, I tend to find that they aren’t long enough to allow for a decent plot or any real character development and most of the time it feels like just as they are getting going they come to an end or that nothing really happens. In this case however, having all five in one book is almost like having a full story albeit that there are some breaks and changes in style between the individual tales.

Anyway, it’s not fair to review as one so thought I’d go a novella at a time.

THE ASSASSIN AND THE PIRATE LORD

The first story sees Celaena off to deliver a message to Rolfe the Pirate Lord with her fellow assassin Sam. It turns out that the message is that Celaena’s master (the King of Assassins) wants to go into partnership in Rolfe’s slave trade business. Something that doesn’t sit well with Celaena and makes her consider going against orders. If she does there could be some serious consequences for both her and Sam.

I loved that this story was just classic Celaena. It starts with her disrespecting the pirate lord on his own ship, ignoring what everyone says and doing exactly what she wants. These are probably the attributes I love most about her as a character. She’s at her best when she’s cheeky, rude, proud and just a little bit crazy and out of control. This is also the story where we first get to meet Sam who is so sweet and so obviously crushing on our heroine although she’s oblivious. Initially they seem to just annoy each other (which leads to some great banter) but somehow Sam manages to sneak under her defences and she’s forced to trust him. It’s a great start to the novel.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

THE ASSASSIN AND THE HEALER

This was a shorter story than the others and in my opinion the weakest in the collection. Celaena has stopped en route to the red desert in a dive of an establishment where she waits for her ship. It’s full of thieves and mercenaries and Celaena is looking for a fight but the barmaid would rather keep her head down. The narrative flits between Celaena and Yrene (the barmaid) which I found a little bit irritating. I don’t usually mind the different perspectives in the Throne of Glass series but in this story neither narrative was particularly captivating.

Celaena was being grumpy and miserable and didn’t really care about anything or anyone. Yrene was more of an observer than a participant and I found her lack of action a little frustrating. There was little dialogue which I think was also partly the problem for me. It’s kind of an interesting story but nothing special or particularly exciting. Who knows though, maybe Yrene will reappear in a later story.

My rating: 3 out of 5 stars

THE ASSASSIN AND THE DESERT

In this story Celaena has made it to the desert and the league of silent assassins with whom she is to train. She need to impress the master if she wants to return home but how long can she stay on her best behaviour and can she trust those around her. To me this plot felt a bit like the Karate Kid with Celaena doing a series of seemingly pointless tasks at the instruction of a new master. While they initially all seem pointless there is a secret purpose to them which will be revealed at some point. Think “wax on wax off” and you’re not far off.

What is most interesting about this story is that it’s the first time Celaena meets another girl the same age and in a similar position to herself. This could be her first chance to make a friend if she can learn to trust. It also lets her meet a different master of assassins and the contrast between the Mute Master and her own master Arobynn gives her something of a shock and leads Celaena to question a lot of her beliefs.

The ending is not particularly surprising but I thought it was a good read and it has a nice pace to it.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

THE ASSASSIN AND THE UNDERWORLD

This for me was the best of the five novellas in this collection.

Celaena is back home in Rifthold and ready to give her master Arobynn what for but somehow he manages to knock the wind out of her sails and convinces her to stay. He showers her with gifts and convinces her to take on a job that she believes will achieve something good. However, things may not be as they seem and she has to decide whether to trust Arobynn. I think everyone at this point, me included, is shouting no.

The relationship between Celaena and Arobynn is one of the most fascinating aspects of this story. You can never really get a clear answer as to whether he truly cares about her or whether he is playing games and using her. The highlight of this story however is the romance between Celaena and Sam. They are just so sweet and funny together. He is still so obviously hung up on her from the first time they bump into each other but Celaena is back to pushing everyone away. She just can’t help being rude and nasty. I love how he sticks by her regardless of how much she exasperates him.

My rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars (mostly for Sam)

THE ASSASSIN AND THE EMPIRE

Having read the rest of the series I was kind of dreading this story. Anyone else who has read the books know how things turn out between Sam and Celaena and I didn’t want to read it.

The story starts with them together and free from Arobynn at last, or are they?. They are short of money and if they really want to get away and make a new start they need one last job. The job they take on however could actually be too much for even the greatest assassin.

Knowing how it was all going to end I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach from the very start. The tale itself was just what I expected frustrating and so sad. It didn’t have the same emotion or depth for me as Crown of Midnight or Heir of Fire but this goes back to the novella thing. I felt like Sam and Celaena never really had a period of happiness so I wasn’t rooting for their relationship as much as I could have been. It also felt like you didn’t know that much about Sam which is a pity. It would have been nice to have some of the narrative from his point of view to know what he was thinking. It does however explain a lot of what happens in Queen of Shadows.

My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

In terms of the book as a whole, I did enjoy it and would recommend it but maybe read it earlier than I did as I think you’d get more out of it.

Book Review: The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015 Ali@abookishlife3 Comments

The First Last Kiss by Ali Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I’m one of those people who cry at pretty much everything, films, sad songs, stories on the news and even TV ads but I don’t think anyone could read this book without being reduced to a blubbering mess by the end.

It’s difficult to describe this book without giving too much away but essentially it’s the story of the relationship between Molly and Ryan. The story begins with Molly being woken up not by a kiss but by her cat Harry. It’s moving day and as she packs up her belongings and generally procrastinates (which I can totally relate to) she reminisces about moments and kisses she shared with love of her life Ryan.

In some ways it reminded me quite a lot of One Day by David Nicholls as it’s a series of episodes in their life that are linked in some way. However, where One Day was set on the same date, in this case the episodes are linked by the different types of kiss they represent such as the worst first kiss, the lost kiss, the celebratory kiss and the eternal kiss. This means that the story jumps back and forward in time from the mid 90’s when they first met as teenagers to the present day with Molly packing away her memories.

It seems at the start that they aren’t together any more, and the title of the book suggests that if there is a first last kiss there must be a last last kiss at some point, but what happened? Were they too young and grew apart, was someone unfaithful or has something driven them apart? I have to admit these questions and more drove me a little crazy. At some points I decided they were actually still together or at least that’s what I hoped.

I absolutely loved Ryan as a character. He just seemed so perfect, good looking, athletic, loving, romantic, funny, popular and totally devoted to Molly. I loved how determined he was to win her over and how he would do anything to keep them together and make her happy (although the story was told from Molly’s point of view so I suspect there was some bias).

Molly I wasn’t so sure about. She was the more ambitious of the two and always seemed to be wanting more than what she had. A better job, better flat, more nights out to the newest and trendiest places and to travel all over the world. She seemed like the rebellious teen who’d never really grown up unlike Ryan who wanted to settle down in his hometown near his family.

As individuals they couldn’t be more different but as a couple they just worked so well. I found myself really rooting for them and that was an emotional rollercoaster. There are some funny moments, some romantic moments that left me smiling for the rest of the day and some exceptionally sad moments which will take me a while to get over. Even thinking about it now, hours later makes me want to smile and cry. I’m so jealous of the love they seemed to have.

I have to admit I found the episodic style of the story and all of the jumping back and forward in time a little confusing and frustrating, particularly at the start. I kind of wish the author had just told the story but by the end it turned out there was a reason for it and once I understood it it made a lot more sense.

Overall it’s a great read and a book I’d recommend to anyone who loves a good romance and a bit of a tearjerker.

Book Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

September 12, 2015September 12, 2015 Ali@abookishlifeLeave a comment

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

“There was nothing left in her, not really. Only ash and an abyss and the unbreakable vow she’d carved into her flesh, to the friend who had seen her for what she truly was.”

I really love this series. It is so well written each book seems to build on the previous. It completely draws you in, overwhelms you and leaves you with an ending that could take months to recover from.

In Heir of Fire the story starts with Celaena alone, abandoned and in a very dark place. She has been sent by the King of Adarlan to Wendlyn “a land of myths and monsters – of legends and nightmares made flesh” to kill the King and Crown Prince leaving the country open to invasion. However she is overcome with grief and guilt after the events of the previous book and can’t do it. Instead she does nothing. She barely eats, drinks too much, starts fights and generally just hates herself.

She is soon found by Rowan Whitethorn, a distant fae cousin and servant of Maeve, who he takes her to meet. She seeks answers from Maeve but is refused them until she becomes worthy. To become worthy she must train with Rowan and learn to control her power. If she succeeds Rowan will take her to Doranelle, home of the fae to get the answers she needs to save her home, and if she fails she will be back to where she started with nothing but self hatred.

It’s very reminiscent of Throne of Glass, the first book in the series, with Rowan taking the place of Captain Chaol Westfall. However this time Celaena seems to have met a far superior opponent. While she walked all over everyone in Adarlan she is no match for the skills and abilities of Rowan and to make it worse he looks at her like something he scraped off his shoe. With her confidence at rock bottom it seems unlikely she will be able to win him over. As it turns out winning Rowan over isn’t the only thing she should be worried about, there are monsters lurking nearby and someone or something is killing demi fae.

Meanwhile back in Adarlan, Chaol and Prince Dorian are missing their friend and trying to work out how to deal with what they have learned about the King. It’s starting to look like they’re going to have to pick a side but will they be on the same one.

It’s safe to say there is a lot going on in this book and if I had one criticism it’s that I found it all a bit confusing at the start. We are in a different land and there are a lot of new characters to try to remember. As well as Rowan and the other characters that Celaena meets in Wendlyn, we are introduced to her cousin Aedion, the rebels and the witches. It’s quite a lot to take in and keep track of.

I did think that Rowan was a great addition to the series. It was so good to have a character who doesn’t worship or fear our heroine. He’s much older than she is and quite closed off and mysterious. He can’t be bothered with her self pitying attitude and Celaena is actually a little bit wary of him and has to check her attitude (to an extent). Their relationship and the way it developed over the course of the story was definitely one of the highlights for me. I absolutely loved their silent arguments.

Celaena herself develops and grows quite a lot over the course of this novel. At the start of the story she is at a pretty low ebb. She’s lost a lot of her vanity, pride and self assurance and ironically seems a lot more human as a result. She doesn’t want to admit who she really is and seems a little bit lost. At times my heart felt like it was breaking for her. She was just so lonely and tragic. There are still a few glimpses of the assassin but in this book she has to decide who she is and who she wants to be. Does she want to claim her birth right and fight for freedom or will she give up and run away?

For me this felt like a very transitional story. It feels a lot slower than the previous story particularly at the start but it does build and build throughout to a fairly heart stopping ending. I kind of missed having Celaena, Dorian and Chaol together and there was definitely not enough of the evil King of Adarlan but I get the feeling that it’s building the tension and setting the scene for the next story Queen of Shadows.

I did enjoy this but I have a feeling Queen of Shadows will be awesome.