New update - I caved, I couldn't cope with the guilt of not finishing this and so I read it. Review will follow.
OK OK OK.....I am DNF'ing my first boNew update - I caved, I couldn't cope with the guilt of not finishing this and so I read it. Review will follow.
OK OK OK.....I am DNF'ing my first book ever and this is a big deal and I'm incredibly angry at this book for making me not finish it. I DNF'd on page 25 (14%)....more
Well this was not what I expected at all, it certainly was not the He-Man of my childhood when I watched the cartoons. But...that was not a bad thing Well this was not what I expected at all, it certainly was not the He-Man of my childhood when I watched the cartoons. But...that was not a bad thing in this instance! The story and action is a lot darker than anything I remember, but the story is incredibly interesting and I think the relationships depicted are definitely complex. The art work is absolutely stunning and I love the design of both He-Man and She-Ra and Swift Wind is absolutely stunning! Overall a surprising but good read and I will be picking up the next trade when I see it....more
I really enjoyed this collection and I liked that though there was a loose theme of different kinds of love, the stories were all vastly different.
TheI really enjoyed this collection and I liked that though there was a loose theme of different kinds of love, the stories were all vastly different.
The stories are all well written and though they are short, you don't feel like anything has been sacrificed to fit the short story format.
There were two absolute stand out stories for me for completely different reasons. The first of which is the title story, The Last Star, I found this story absolutely fascinating. It's about the two last sentient beings in the universe watching as the last star dies and they're thinking about their lives and how they spent them and wondering about what will happen next. The end was also extremely satisfying.
The second one that stood out was Down in Flames, this was so very, very difficult to read for two different reasons. The first being the memory of 9/11 and just how many lives were lost and how much it has changed and affected life. The other reason is the personal loss of the woman in the story, it's heartbreaking going through what she goes through as she does. What makes it more poignant is that from what I understand from the annotations is that this is a true story. I find reading anything of this kind very painful and very rarely make it through a story or article about this kind of thing, so the fact I made it the whole way through says a lot about the quality of the writing to keep me reading.
The only story I felt didn't fit was The Idiot's Guide To Writing Workshops, not because it was bad as it is incredibly insightful and amusing, but because I personally don't feel that it feels the theme or tone of the rest of the stories. I did enjoy this story but I would have preferred it in a different collection.
Overall a great collection and one that covers some important topics
Caroline James has blown me away again! I'll hold my hands up and say I'm not a fan of reality TV and have never watched I'm A Celeb,.. which Jungle SCaroline James has blown me away again! I'll hold my hands up and say I'm not a fan of reality TV and have never watched I'm A Celeb,.. which Jungle Survival is based on, but I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Zach's adventures in the Jungle and the way it affected both him and the other celeb contestants that he met while in there.
Jungle Rock can be read as a stand alone but it features characters from Caroline James' other books and I was definitely glad that I was getting more of Zach and Poppy as I loved their story in Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean and Me. They are both great characters and you get to know them both even better in Jungle Rock.
The writing is smooth and beautiful as usual, I find Caroline James' writing really easy and enjoyable to read. The world building is done really well and you can picture each setting vividly. The characters, both old and new are all really well developed and I liked seeing more of Bob, Zach's manager. It was good to catch up with Jo and Hattie too, Hattie is still as wonderful as ever! But now I need to know what happened to the man Jo ended up with (not naming names so no spoilers) at the end of Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean and Me as he wasn't mentioned, so hopefully that will come out in a future book.
Jungle Rock is such a happy story, though it does take you through the works to get to that stage. It was really nice to read something so fun and happy.
I do have to mention the cover of Jungle Rock, all the covers of Caroline's books are perfectly suited to the story and this one didn't disappoint. The colours are bright and engaging and you really get drawn to the book.
Overall a really fun and quick read and I look forward to reading more books by Caroline James in the future.
I didn't know what to expect when I picked up The Baby Auction as the title is quite shocking. It definitely fits the tone and dystopian feel of the sI didn't know what to expect when I picked up The Baby Auction as the title is quite shocking. It definitely fits the tone and dystopian feel of the story though and it is even scarier than it sounds when you realise just how easily the world could head in the same direction.
I think the world building is done extremely well and it was very easy to picture the Market World and the Broken Lands as they are depicted by the authority in power. The Market World is run under the One Law and this promotes Property, Equality, Dignity and Trade. It's very reminiscent of a modern day 1984 and has a lot of the same themes which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The characters are all really fleshed out and represent both ends of the kaleidoscope as Matt and Ed are both from the lowest levels of society, while Dain and Anna are the up and coming and rich top level. I thought the relationship between Matt and Ed felt a little forced to me, but they got together under circumstances that you just can't imagine, so it's not my place to judge what people in that situation should feel. Dain and Anna's relationship however I found incredibly sweet and I was routing for them so hard throughout the story. It did help that I completely and utterly fell in love with Dain! He slowly broke down my barriers as I got to know him and by the end I loved his character.
The story itself is very strong and I loved the politics and revolutionary talk throughout, showing that if people can come together then they can succeed against all odds.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed The Baby Auction and I look forward to reading more by Peter Taylor-Gooby.
My original plan for reading this book as it is a non-fiction was to read a bit then put it down and just keep diving into it every now and again. ThiMy original plan for reading this book as it is a non-fiction was to read a bit then put it down and just keep diving into it every now and again. This almost immediately went out the window and I ended up reading it cover to cover in two sittings as it was so clear and easy to read and extremely enjoyable as well as being informative.
I really loved how For The Love Of Shakespeare is organised, it makes it very easy for you to pick it up and find which bit you'd like to read. The first two sections are about Shakespeare himself and about Stratford Upon Avon and London in his time and then it moves onto his works which are split into The Comedies, The Histories, The Tragedies, The Apocryphal Plays and The Poetry. Each play is then broken down into plots, in a nutshell, other notable characters, body count, did you know and quotable lines. I absolutely love the in a nutshell section as it explains the plot of the play in very basic terms usually with quite a lot of wit!
The quotable lines bit is very good too as I could check out the famous lines I know and quite easily find out which play they are from. I know I keep saying and "this bit is good" but I really mean it, it's all just so good! I enjoyed the other notable characters sections as it highlighted some lesser recognised characters and explained the important things that they had done within the story.
Throughout the book there are mini interviews with people who are involved one way or another in the world of Shakespeare and the seem to be located close to their favourite play which is a nice touch. It was interesting to see how each person had grown to love Shakespeare and what experiences they had had.
Overall such a refreshingly light and still informative book and one I will happily keep on my bookshelves as it is also beautiful on the outside too. I have already recommended this to people I know and will continue to do so. ...more
Isabella's Adventures In Numberland is the second book in the Isabella, Rotten Speller series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone.
The story Isabella's Adventures In Numberland is the second book in the Isabella, Rotten Speller series, but can definitely be read as a stand alone.
The story follows Isabella as she goes on a walk and falls down a hole, ending up in a very Alice In Wonderland-esque world with a white rabbit and a tea party. In this world their numbers have gone missing and Isabella helps to save the day with a very clever play on words.
The story is written in rhyme and is very easy to read, however the author hasn't shied away from using "grown up" words which I really like.
The artwork is absolutely beautiful in a very naive and childlike way and it matches the story perfectly.
I really enjoyed this book and I enjoyed reading it to my youngest Nerdling (aged 3) who really enjoyed the pictures and looking at all the numbers. I'll definitely be going back and finding the first book in the series. ...more
I'll start with with artwork, the art is bright and very engaging for children. I liked the fact that there was a picture before each poem which was rI'll start with with artwork, the art is bright and very engaging for children. I liked the fact that there was a picture before each poem which was relevant to the poem so you could talk about the picture with your child to help them with understanding the poem.
The poems themselves are all very beautifully written and they rhyme (always such a good thing in children's books). I feel that each poem is as strong as the other and there are some really good lessons throughout. Being inspired by a bible quote there is a mention of God and belief, so if you are religious this is a perfect book for you to introduce your children to poetry through faith. If you are not religious it is not so overwhelming that you would not enjoy the poetry. I am not religious but I still thoroughly enjoyed reading all the poems.
Overall a very enjoyable book which will be read again by both myself and my Nerdlings.
This book is so much fun! There were times that I laughed full on out loud (sometimes in not the most appropriate of places... ahem). I loved all the This book is so much fun! There were times that I laughed full on out loud (sometimes in not the most appropriate of places... ahem). I loved all the characters and I'm already looking forward to continuing with the series.
Cassandra or Cass I swear deals with everything the same way I do - sarcasm and food! She is the perfect mix of everyday woman and one who can defend herself with whatever is nearby even if it is by accident. She feels so very real to me and I really enjoyed her honesty about what (*read who) she thought was hot and how awkward she is around people on a day to day basis.
Medea is a great sidekick character, she is powerful, intelligent and beautiful and there is even more to her than meets the eye. Katie who you meet later in the book, I'm still not 100% about yet, BUT she is definitely interesting and certainly surprised me.
Now to my absolutely favourite character - Cain. Yes he is a completely heartless a$$hole at times, but he's hot and he's a bad boy with a soft side and who doesn't want that in their fictional boyfriend? There are also so many more interesting things I could say but I would be spoiling far too much so that will have to do.
I can see why people would like Laclos as he is basically lust personified and who knows what will happen further into the series, but for now I am full on #teamcain.
The story is really interesting as there is a war brewing in the vampire world and somehow Cass has got herself mixed up in it and decides to try and deal with a lot herself while the menfolk (Cain and Laclos) preen and stalk about like peacocks. They do come in more than handy when they're needed though and make up for lost time.
Throughout there are some brilliant references to pop culture and I loved that I could pick some out, though I think I missed the Buffy ones as I've only ever seen the original movie but none of the TV series.
Overall a really, really good and enjoyable book and as I said I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. I know this has been more of a ramble than usual, but this happens when I really like a book. ...more
Trace This Scar had me pretty much hooked from the beginning. Following Daphne's story of meeting the man of her dreams and it slowly deteriorating ovTrace This Scar had me pretty much hooked from the beginning. Following Daphne's story of meeting the man of her dreams and it slowly deteriorating over time and with her husbands ex causing issues. This all worsens when Gina (the ex) goes missing and Rich gets arrested and charged with her murder leaving Daphne alone, harassed and almost penniless, living in squalor and having no money for food. Daphne believes her husband is innocent but no one will listen to someone like her.
The other side of the story is Jamie, a spoilt 26 year old "boy" who has just been asked by his mum and dad to move out after he has managed to loose another job after an extremely short period. He sofa hops until he comes across a book store looking for a helper and he meets Daphne who offers him a job and somewhere to live.
Both characters are extremely unlikeable and I really didn't warm to either of them. Jamie does show growth of personality throughout the book, but not enough for me to change my opinion of him. This is not a bad thing, the characters are written so well that even though I didn't like them as people, I still really wanted to know what happened to them and was they were going to do next. This is definitely the sign of a great author in my opinion.
The peripheral characters are all well fleshed out too and I particularly liked Jamie's mum and dad as I really just felt they were trying to do their best for their son. They just weren't sure what the best for him was. Rich is another unlikeable but very interesting character, who had a lot more going on than what we saw.
The story is very well thought out and takes you on a journey that you're not entirely sure where it will end or what you're going to find when you get there. Though a few times I thought I knew what was going on, something else would happen and it'd throw me off and I'd think something else. I really couldn't put this down as I just needed to find out what happened next. The alternating POVs between Daphne and Jamie also kept me reading as I always tell myself I'll just get to the end of this characters chapter then I'll put the book down, but then I always need to see what the other character is up to.
Overall an excellent book and I'm extremely excited to see what Jessikah will come up with next. ...more
I completely and utterly fell in love with this book. To me this is exactly what an adventure book should be like. There are pActual rating 4.5 stars.
I completely and utterly fell in love with this book. To me this is exactly what an adventure book should be like. There are pirates and mystery and hidden caves.
I have to disagree with the synopsis stating that Captain Nemo is one of the most horrible villains as I have to say I really related to him and I'm certainly not a villain! Yes he has killed people, usually only when they are attacking him and his ship. To be able to go so completely off the grid and survive off the land, or in this case the sea and to find hidden wonders that no one else has ever seen sounds absolutely wonderful! To be so intelligent and continue your learning indefinitely within your own personal library, I'd imagine that quite a few people would enjoy this.
Professor Aronnax and his personal servant Conseil have an extremely strong bond and have a mutual respect that is good to see. Ned Land though to me is another far more interesting character as he is a rugged adventurer from Canada who has seen the world and needs to be out there to really live. He struggles with captivity and suffers from cabin fever which you can feel through the excellent writing.
There is a lot of scientific, nautical and geographical language used throughout the book and a lot of classification of sea life is done, but this did not take away any enjoyment for me as I enjoyed searching online what things meant when I didn't understand and learning, I enjoyed the learning.
Hopefully I will have time in the future to come back and re read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea so I can revisit Captain Nemo and enter his exciting underwater world. ...more
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