Phantom by Susan Kay

This post contains SPOILERS!!!! Like ENDING SPOILERS (I got a little bit ranty) so if you don't want the book SPOILED for you STOP HERE!!

A child is born... His mother's only gift is a mask. Precocious and gifted, he will live friendless and alone. taunted and abused, he will flee, only to find himself caged again-as a freak in a Gypsy carnival. A brilliant outcast... the world is his home. Filled with bitter rage, he will kill to escape, becoming a stonemason's apprentice in Rome... a dark magician at the treacherous Persian court... and finally, the genius behind the construction of the Paris Opera House and the labyrinthine world below. Lacking one thing only: A woman's love. Cloaked in secrets, his power complete, he will see the exquisite Christine and for the first time know what it means to love. Obsessed, he will bring her into his eerie subterranean world, driven to posses her heart and soul. Phantom--A haunting story of power and darkness, of magic and murder, of sensuality and betrayal, and ultimately, the unforgettable story of a man and a woman and the eternal quality of love.
(Image and Description from Goodreads.com)

dun, dun, duunnnnn.

So, all in all I found this book very enjoyable to read - if totally depressing, but I suppose I can forgive that since it isn't supposed to be a happy novel anyway.

Thumbs Up!
This book is an imaginary take on what Erik's life could have been like mostly before he became the Phantom of the Opera. Following him through from his birth to his death, During his friendship with the Persian and his attraction to Christine.

The book is told from various view points. Erik, Christine, Erik's mother, the Persian and the master stonemason that Erik studies under for a time. Each different person gives us a unique glance into how they view Erik and what they think of him which I found far more enjoyable than if it had been told just through one persons eyes.

It was pretty cool how Erik came to have a house under the Opera – since according to this plot he was actually helping Garnier build it. And then there is also the reason for the salary that he demands from the managers which was all tied in.

He (The Phantom) is not the youthful, sexy Phantom of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical, he is the skeletal, smelling of death, no nose, Erik that Leroux told us of. With emotional and mental baggage to fill a jumbo jet.

Thumbs Down!
But...I do have some issues with this book. Mainly with the way it ended, but a couple that carry on throughout the novel.

*SPOILERS*

The first problem that I had was Erik's addictions brought on from his time in Persia. Now I get that he is troubled and needs to mask his pain and all that jazz but to me I thought it wasn't really needed especially since it throws out the time that Christine spends with him when he kidnaps her the first time. She basically ends up being his nurse after he has what I can only guess is a heart attack.


*BIG MAJOR UBER SPOILER*

My one major issue with this book, the issue that makes all the others pale in comparison is Christine becoming pregnant with HIS CHILD!!.

Now I will say that I have no problem at all with Christine having the Phantom's child - no problem at all...IF IT MAKES SENSE! In my mind this makes no sense at all, it seems to have just been thrown in there for the sake of it when I don't think it was needed. After all, I have just had 400-500 pages of Phantomy amazingness and then wham, I have this thrown at me.

This happens when Christine returns to the Phantom to give him an invitation to her wedding (he made her promise before he let the Persian, Raoul and her go). She goes to his home and he is kind of, sort of, DYING! What did she do. Take advantage of him or something?

And just to add another level of strangeness when Christine and Raoul left the Phantom's lair, Erik had seemed to settle himself on viewing Christine as his daughter. Okay, I can deal with that - I think. And then the next thing you know she's pregnant. That totally threw me for a loop. Couldn't the author just pick one type of relationship and STICK with it.

And then this leads me to my next gripe. Her cryptic way of telling Raoul. She tells him that she wants to put the wedding of for a month so that he (Raoul) can be sure than he forgives her. WHAT!? How the heck was Raoul supposed to know what she was talking about. And what is even sadder is that when she goes into labour he thinks that the baby is premature and is worried about losing both of them and the doctor tells him the baby is full term and that is when everything basically falls into place in his mind. SO SAD.

So yeah, by the end I really don't like Christine (not that I liked her all that much anyway) and I am feeling very sorry for Raoul (who I normally want to Punjab lasso as soon as I see his name).

And now to my last ...problem. (Alright, so it's not my last problem but it is the only other one I am going to bore you with.

**SPOILER**
CHRISTINE DIES!!
What is with this book? There was NO NEED for her to die. What was the point? It didn't accomplish anything other than to leave Raoul raising a child that he knows isn't his and not really minding. I could have understood it if a lovey, dovey, slushy, supernatural element has been thrown in where Christine and Erik are finally together or something like that but...but...this makes NO SENSE!!!! Well to me at least.

All in All

So my final opinion on this book. I liked it - even if it was a bit depressing - and if I ignore the take on what happens between Erik and Christine and just focus on Erik's like before the Opera House I like it even more.

A wonderful read until the last...50 pages.

(This was originally posted on my Phantom Novel Reviews blog in February 2011)

Maskerade by Terry Pratchett

There are strange goings-on at the Opera House in Ankh-Morpork. A ghost in a white mask is murdering, well, quite a lot of people, and two witches (it really isn't wise to call them "meddling, interfering old baggages"), or perhaps three, take a hand in unraveling the mystery.

(Image and Description from Goodreads.com)

I loved this book, but for some reason I can’t think of a lot to say about it…Weird.

Thumbs Up!

It is such a fun read with some of the best rounds ups of opera that I have ever read and some of the most brilliant twists.

We have Christine who, although being gorgeous, just can’t sing and is as dim as a broken torch.

Agnes – who has a lovely personality, nice hair and CAN sing, but unfortunately just doesn’t look the part (I love Agnes).

The rat catcher who is reincarnated as a rat – karma really sucks!

Two witches - hoping to soon be a trio once again – ready to solve the mystery at The Opera House.

A ghost who can be in two places at a time – or can he.

And lots more. 

As I said this is such a fun read and kept me turning the pages. Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax jumped out the page at me with their larger than life approach at things. And their side story had me giggling like crazy – Nanny Ogg’s “The Joye of Snacks” isn’t an ordinary cook book.

Agnes’s practical attitude to life was great to read along with her attempts at being more…flighty with her alter ego Perdita. I would rather have a heroine like Agnes over a Perdita any day.  

Thumbs Down!

I can’t actually think of anything I found disappointing about this book…Wow. That does’t happen very often.

All in All

Terry  Pratchett is one of my all-time favourite authors. It is true that some of his books miss the mark for me where laughs are concerned but I am glad to say that this is not one of those books. This hit all the right places and had me sniggering from beginning to end. 

Agnes on Christine - Not liking Christine would be like not liking small fluffy animal. And Christine was just like a small fluffy animal. A rabbit, perhaps. It was certainly impossible for her to get a whole idea into her head in one go. She had to nibble it into manageable bits.

Nanny Ogg on Opera - Well, basically there are two sorts of opera,' said Nanny, who also had the true witch's ability to be confidently expert on the basis of no experience whatsoever. 'There's your heavy opera, where basically people sing foreign and it goes like "Oh oh oh, I am dyin', oh, I am dyin', oh, oh, oh, that's what I'm doin'", and there's your light opera, where they sing in foreign and it basically goes "Beer! Beer! Beer! Beer! I like to drink lots of beer!", although sometimes they drink champagne instead. That's basically all of opera, reely

Review - Holiday Heartbreak (Dork Diaries Book #6) by Rachel Renee Russell

It's the biggest dance of the year and Nikki Maxwell is hoping her crush, Brandon, wants to be her date. But time is running out. What if he doesn't want to go with her? Or worse - what if he ends up going with Mackenzie?!!

(Image and Description from Goodreads.com)

Why is Dork Diaries doing this to me? Why?

Thumbs Up!

The friendship between Zoey, Chloe and Nikki is just as strong as ever and Chloe and Zoey continue to be supportive and loving towards Nikki through all of her drama – on a wee side note I would love to have a book from their side of things (and it could touch on what they really think about Nikki and her pathological lying).

SPOILER – Mackenzie (evil-teen-villainess) ends up rooting through a dumpster.

Thumbs Down!

By the third time (it could have been the last too) she said ‘thingie’ I was ready to scream. By the first time (for this book) she once again fibbed to her ‘BFFs’ I was ready to drag her out of the book and yell at her. Because, yeah, telling porkies has totally worked well for her up to this point. Not. It stresses her out.

The majority of the girl/boy drama between Nikki and Brandon come mainly from a series of misunderstandings and Nikki not letting the poor guy finish a sentence.

All in All

I have loved the Dork Diaries books since I picked up the first one but the past two books have just been lacking that spark I loved so much in the previous books. Still enjoyable but I am becoming very irritated with them very easily and I don’t know if it is a change in me or a change in the books.

I don’t feel like Nikki is moving on at all as a character.

Has anyone else read these books? If you have I would love to know if it is me or the books. How have you found them?

The Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux

The Phantom of the Opera lives under a famous opera house. A mere chorus girl, Christine Daae, becomes, under his guidance, a well known singer with a beautiful voice. But her old child hood sweetheart, the Vicount Raoul de Changy, has also entered the picture. The past comes back to haunt her, the future ahead is uncertain, and the present is undecided. Who will win the heart of Christine?; the handsome, rich Raoul or the masked Angel of Music? A story of romance, murder, sacrifice and sadness, this riveting, seductive tale will keep your emotions high until the very last page of the shocking conclusion.

(Image and Description from Goodreads.com)

The Phantom of the Opera is one of my favourite books – it gets read at least once a year – and yet every time I read it I don’t know why.

Thumbs Up!

What I love most about this book isn’t actually the novel itself but it is the countless stories and versions it has prompted others to write and create.

There are so many gaps left in the novel that it is the perfect fodder for authors to fill in with their own ideas.

That being said what I really enjoy time after time in reading this are the truly random parts. The rat catcher for instance with is head of fire (because he holds a lamp up to his face) or the men in the cellars shovelling coal into the boilers who to Christine appear to be demons stoking the fires of hell.

Erik – The Phantom of the Opera – comes across as a proper maniac who threatens to destroy the opera at the busiest time of the day if Christine refuses to marry him, which I loved. After all the guy is crazy and what he was going to do was not watered down to a ‘I’ll kill the boy you love’

This is also one of the few books that has ever made me cry.

Thumbs Down!

My main issues with this book are with the characters.

Raoul is anything but a dashing romantic lead. He comes across as a whining boy who we are told has the complexion of a girl. What I hate most about him though is that he all but accuses Christine of sleeping around. Yip, that’s a sure fire way to the heart of the woman you love. Not!

All in All

This book will always have a special place in my heart but at the end of the day my view of it has been dulled by the many (better written) novels that have been based on it.

Review - Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster

Jerusha Abbott grew up in an orphanage but was sent to college by a mysterious benefactor she calls Daddy-Long-Legs. In college she falls in love with a young man who wants to marry her, but she refuses because she is an orphan. Finally, after Jerusha--now Judy--graduates, she asks to meet her benefactor.

(Image and descriptions from Goodreads.com)

Really enjoyable! I tried to read this book when I was in secondary school and it just didn’t click. But after watching the film (with Fred Astaire ;)), the anime and listening to the musical – lovely musical by the way – I decided to give it another shot.

I loved it.

Thumbs Up!

The whole book was wonderful fun and just what I needed at the time. Judy is refreshingly honest about what she thinks of things and this may seem silly but what I loved most was Judy being ‘friends’ with someone she isn’t really all that fond of. I don’t know about you but I could definitely relate to that.

The book covers a four year span of Judy’s life through college all told in letters and I didn’t once get bored or want the writing to change.

Thumbs Down!

The only thing I would have loved to have seen was a chapter from Jarvis’ side of things – mainly to see what was going on in his head when he made certain decision and what he thought about Judy’s reaction to them.

All in All!

A lovely story that as 187 pages is not all that long. Definitely worth a read.

“The trouble with college is that you are expected to know such a lot of things you’ve never learned”

Deception by Shirley Yoshinaka

Following the Paris opera house disaster, Erik, the charismatic and disfigured man known as the Phantom, settled into a secluded home on the outskirts of London. He resigned himself to a life of solitude, but two years later, fate introduced him to a young woman who reawakened his emotions. Although Mellie was a gifted composer, no one took her work seriously. She recognized Erik's brilliance and was desperate for his help. Drawn to both the man and his talent, she made a bold proposition, and he accepted. Together, they forged a unique partnership that became the talk of London society. But when Erik's past returned to haunt him, he could lose everything he'd gained in his new life - including Mellie. Deception is a tale of loss, healing, and ultimately of love.

(Image and Blurb from Goodreads.com)

This was the first Phantom adaptation that I ever read and I am so glad that it was. Although it was no retelling in the way that it has Christine and Erik admitting their undying love for each other. It is a sequel (more of the musical I would say) that has a wonderful heroine. 

Thumbs Up!

The change of setting. We are no longer in Paris, Erik has escaped to London England. 

It is obvious from the musical that Erik has a temper that rears it's head a few times (you know...killing people...) and this does not vanish in the book. It comes through, as does his violent tendencies. The one thing that stands out though is that he wants to change, he does not want to be the man that Christine called a monster, or the man who killed people without thought.

When Mellie enters his life he strives to be a gentlemen and even though he slips up she accepts that there is that side to him and she does not run.

Mellie and Erik end up sharing Erik's home when he is helping her with her music and writing. Though they are living in a purely business capacity people are under the impression that Mellie is Erik's niece and there are more than a few cute moments between them during this time. 

My favourite bit has to be when Mellie is attacked by a man and when she returns home she doesn't want to sleep alone so she shares a bed with Erik.

"Do you make it a habit of sleeping in your clothes?" she asked, her tone teasing.
"Only when there's a beautiful woman in my bed that I'm intent on not ravishing."

I found that very cute, coming from the dark and charismatic Phantom of the Opera.

The other major factor I enjoyed was that though there is a bad guy within the story Erik continually holds himself back from becoming the person he was in Paris and unleashing his violent side.

Thumbs Down!
I really have nothing I didn't like about this book.

I would have loved for it to have bee longer but otherwise I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

All in All!
A wonderful first novel to read when it comes to Phantom sequels and non Erik/Christine relationships.

A light and enjoyable read that I zipped through. 

The Bad Beginning (Book #1 in A Series of Unfortunate Events) by Lemony Snicket

In this first book, readers are introduced to the unfortunate Baudelaire children -- 14-year-old Violet, 12-year-old Klaus, and their infant sister, Sunny -- when they learn they've just been orphaned by a terrible house fire.

The executor of the Baudelaire estate -- a phlegm-plagued banker named Mr. Poe - sends the children to live with a distant relative: a conniving and dastardly villain named Count Olaf, who has designs on the Baudelaire fortune. Count Olaf uses the children as slave labor, provides horrid accommodations for them, and makes them cook huge meals for him and his acting troupe, a bunch of odd-looking, renegade good-for-nothings. When the children are commandeered to appear in Count Olaf's new play, they grow suspicious and soon learn that the play is not the innocent performance it seems but rather a scheme cooked up by Olaf to help him gain control of the children's millions. 

(Image and Description from Goodreads.com)

Eeeeeeaaaa…yeah. I really don’t know where to go with this one. I was giving it a try to see if A Series of Unfortunate Events could take the place of The How to Train Your Dragons books once my self-control snaps and I read the last available book.

Yip. That won’t be happening.

Thumbs Up!

There was only one thing that I really liked about this book and it was the bond between the Baudelaire siblings. These were children who would do anything for each other.

Thumbs Down!

It was the adults in this book that irritated me beyond belief and seriously got up my nose. Mr Poe – the banker who was a FRIEND of the children’s parents and the executor of their will – failed epically at protecting the children and then when they did go to him with their problems he does one of the ‘How to Be a Stupid Adult 101’ things and goes and tells the baddie that they had talked to him. IDIOT man.

And then there is the judge who lives next door to Count Olaf. Let’s just say that she could be WAY more perceptive.

Oh, and one more strike against Mr Poe. Dude, Count Olaf is so unsubtle about wanting the Baudelaire fortune and he makes one ‘Violet can’t access it until she comes of age’ comment and then just lets it go over his head…Yip…

All in All!

Not my cup of tea at all – although I do have a friend who read all of them and loved them. I slogged through it but I think I will be finding another series to replace How to Train Your Dragon. I can see how children would enjoy this series and it is brilliant for introducing the meaning of new words but it just didn't click with me.

Any suggestions for another series would be greatly appreciated. I am thinking of giving The Spiderwick Chronicles a try. 

Review - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

As a young man, Jacob Jankowski was tossed by fate onto a rickety train that was home to the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth. It was the early part of the Great Depression, and for Jacob the circus was both his salvation and a living hell. A veterinary student just shy of a degree, he was put in charge of caring for the circus menagerie. It was there that he met Marlena, the beautiful equestrian star married to August, the charismatic but twisted animal trainer. And he met Rosie, an untrainable elephant who was the great gray hope for this third-rate traveling show. The bond that grew among this unlikely trio was ultimately their only hope for survival.

(Image and Description from Goodreads.com)

Thumbs Up!

I really enjoyed it (and this came as a huge surprise to me).

I have never read anything, fictional or otherwise, about circuses or depression era America (although I am a huge lover of films like ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ etc and it has nothing to do with Charlton Heston…Ok, maybe a little) so it was a huge eye opener. There was definitely a dark side to the bright costumes and candyfloss and I don’t think I will ever look at Dumbo the same way again.

I loved the insight to the times as well as the flashes of Jacob’s life in the nursing home and his frustration and anger at his situation. This book did not just deal with the happily ever after and life of a young man in his prime but seventy years on too.

The whole book was like I had been given a backstage, nothing bared pass to the circus (well, the 1930s circus anyway) and I enjoyed every page of it.

Thumbs Down!

There were definitely some things that made me a bit squirmy.

There is animal abuse that we know is going on and a few times when we ‘see’ it happening.

Mental and emotional abuse is also touched on (but violence and abuse towards women always makes me uncomfortable in books even though it wasn't very much IN your face, I was aware something more was going on).

Final Thoughts!

I thoroughly enjoyed Water for Elephants. It caught me up and I was finished before I knew it. I am really glad I got around to reading it.

“She looks at her watch – a real one, with arms. Those digital ones came and went, thank God. When will people learn that just because you can make something it doesn’t mean you should?” 

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Books I Wish Could Have Had Sequels 

This is a really difficult question. 

I am a huge fantasy/science fiction reader and the majority of those books come in series. 

But I gave it some thought and came up with a few. 

Impetuous Innocent by Stephanie Laurens

This is a book that I wish WAS the sequel. 

In this book we are introduced to a couple who is is plainly obvious have their own wonderful story to tell and we only have slight little hints of what it was. 

I would love a prequel to this. 

Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

I loved this book and I would have loved to have a book to follow Henry Baskerville's life after the events of Doyle's book :)

(Honestly when I said 'a couple' I really meant a couple)

Oh I know!

North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell and Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

'North and South' and 'Wives and Daughters' kind of have those 'huh' *Alex shakes books around to see if any extra pages will fall out* endings.

North and South ends where you want it too I suppose with the happy couple FINALLY getting together but that is all. I think that Mr Thornton and Margaret Hale would have had a pretty snazzy courtship. 

And with Wives and Daughters I believe that Elizabeth Gaskell dies before she could finish it so that explains the VERY random ending but I could have kept reading that book for another 200pages. 

A whole load of other are no doubt going to zap into my head the second I click post but right now that is all that comes to mind.

I think that this tells me I really need to start reading more stand alone novels ;) (or get more series finished so I can complain about the last book ;)) 

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - The Engineer's Thumb

Image from Goodreads

The Basics

Dr Watson is woken up early one morning to see to a young man. To his horror he discovers that the man is missing his thumb. 

First of – EWW! He has his thumb hacked off. Now that’s just plain icky.

Second (of? – nah, that doesn’t sound right) – The victim – Mr Victor Hatherley – was a bit of an idiot whose reasoning for ignoring the warning given to him was a bit A LOT weak.

I mean, really, there’s obviously something very dodgy going on and what do you do? You hang around because you are feeling ‘put out’ by the fib you have been told.

Yeah, he was asking for it really.

IDIOT.

I loves how he had a full blown fit of hysterical laughter – hmm…I’m  starting to think that I am a liiiitle but twisted.

The best bit though was when Sherlock – as cool as you like – pulled out a paper clipping and shows him a missing person report of some who was just like himself. Young. Single. Engineer. And obviously very dead. Brilliant. And obviously because he’s Sherlock Holmes he remembered the clipping just like that *clicks fingers*.

Sherlock Holmes is just that good!

It was really interesting though because as Victor (I’m sure he won’t mind be using his first name without an introduction) is telling his story I am thinking OH MY GOODNESS the baddies have had all night to get away! 

Will they catch them?

The Great Reading and Blogging Block of 2013 - Part 2

Continued...

•  I tried 'The Re-Read'

The re-read is this wonderful thing - unless your my mother who thinks all books were invented to be read once and shelved - that can eat up hours and hours of your time. Time that perhaps you should be using to discover new characters and place. But you know what? You don't want to go and meet some strangers so you go and reacquaint yourself with some old friends instead. 

So as I have been wanting to move on with the rest of the Mary Russell Series by Laurie.R King I thought I would give the Beekeepers Apprentice another read to remind myself of some things before heading on with the rest. 

Good plan, yes?

No. It failed miserably. For 8 weeks!!!!!! I have been reading this books I am not even half way through. 

This is not a reflection on the book. Not at all! It is a wonderful, fun read (FYI if you are a fan of Sherlock Holmes it is definitely up your street). But have I been able to re-read it? Nope. 

So I though that maybe it was a little too soon to read it again. It is a who-dun-it after all and I kind of knew who did the doing. So I moved on again, and again, and again. And every time the re-read failed. 

OK, so the re-read was obviously not the thing to kick start the reading again. 

• The 'To-Be-Read'

Pretty much covered this (see the end of Part 1 about reading first few paragraphs etc)

Another failure. 

• The Audio-Book

I have some epic favourite audio-books. I kid you not. These are books that I have listened to repeatedly. 

Needless to say that this time there magic was a dud and they actually grated on my nerves. 

Can you believe that? I couldn't and I stopped listening ASAP in case I put myself off. 

So then I went for  nice new shiny Audio-book and I downloaded The Fellowship of the Ring. It can be argued that I have been living under a rock for the past... a long time OK, and I have just seen The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers so I thought I would give the books a try.

*groans*

Couldn't someone have warned me?

(more to come on THAT in a future post - or five)

• The 'screw it' plan

Yip, I reached the breaking point. Up until a week ago the only books I had bought in the last 8 weeks were The Lord of the Rings and they weren't getting me anywhere.

So I began the search.

After all the read pile and the TBR pile weren't doing much good so I finally thought 'screw-it'. This is were all logic (not that there ever was any to begin with) goes flying out the window and I look everywhere for a books to just read already!

ASDA (got to love ASDA) came to the rescue with The Zoo (I wanted to read that when it was in hardback so I thought - you got it - 'S-I') and The Witness (haven't read many Nora Roberts books, but I have read some of the JD Robb ones and so 'S-I lets give it a shot' ended up with it in my basket).

But, needless to say, both of these were a bust. Don't get me wrong, I THINK I am going to really enjoy them when I am in the right frame of mind, but the reading-mojo-sucking-monster of doom just wasn't having either of these.

Want to know what finally started be reading again?

Do ya? Do ya? Do ya?

Of course you do.

The £3.33 e-book came to the rescue. Complete with a red cape and hero-music.

Lovely cute heroine, hero who is a bit of an idiot but catches on pretty quick and a not overly complicated story line.

Just what I needed to get me back into the swing of reading again!

Bit anti-climactic really isn't it. Lol.






I am so glad to be finally reading again *happy dance* because not only am I now...well...reading but I also have my blogging brain switched back on. Yay. It was so weird. I have reviews written down (and some even typed up) but I just couldn't muster up the get-up-and-go to post them or do anything really.

But now I am back! And I can even feel the tension and stress draining through my fingers as I type.

Things will be back into some semblance of a schedule this week coming :)

The Great Reading and Blogging Block of 2013 - Part 1

Reader HELL!

I have passed through the fire and emerged. Slightly singed and frazzled but I shall move on from this horrible experience.

Ok, so slightly dramatic there but you get the point.

I think for every avid reader going through a book block/reading block/what-the-heck-where-have-all-the-good-books-gone spell/whatever you want to call it is something that everyone else just doesn't understand. And its ANNOYING because they just don't GET IT1

Do you find reading blocks stressful?

I find reading blocks stressful.

Now from a logical stand point reading blocks should actually be good things. Shouldn't they? Well yeah, because look at all this extra time I suddenly have to get thinks done. The washing up can be done straight after dinner instead of being left until I am eating off a napkin, that pair of trousers I have been meaning to take-up for the past month, smashing lets do it, those receipts that have been sitting around until I got time to do my accounts, awesome, bring it on.

*tumble weed*

You got it. I had ALL of this free time - or supposed to have - because I wasn't reading and still nothing got done - apart from the washing up, I might have been exaggerating a little there.

Why didn't anything get done?

 Because I was -

1.  picking up any unread book on my shelf, reading the first few paragraphs (or pages if it was lucky) and then throwing it across the room placing it back on the shelf with a look of utter loathing. This happened quite a few times. *pets book shelf* Mummy didn't mean it. 
2. Freaking out about all of the books that I felt I should be getting through and I wasn't because I couldn't get into anything. 

It was like some vicious reading-mojo eating cycle of doom. 

And it was uber-stessful and not just because of all the unread books staring  pleadingly at me from the book shelf but because I read to de-stress. Yeah, EXACTLY! How am I supposed to unwind when I can't get into a book? How am I supposed to forget about real-life rubbish and get lost in someone elses rubbish a fantasy word when it won't let me past the first chapter!

So what did I do?

More next time in Part 2...

Elfin by Quinn Loftis Tour & Giveaway

Before tonight Cassie Tate’s biggest concerns were whether she could pass Algebra and how she was going to keep Elora, her best friend, from dressing her in a skimpy fairy costume for Halloween. Her feet were firmly planted in suburban reality and she had no reason to believe her life would be anything but that of a typical teenager. That is until tonight, when Cassie saw something that no human was ever supposed to see; in the blink of an eye she was thrown into the world of the Light and Dark Elves.

He comes from a realm where light and dark have fought for millennia. He is of a race known to humans only in myths and legends. The darkness that lives inside him is a part of both who and what he is and it makes him the most gifted spy and assassin in the history of his time. His life is not his own; he lives in the service of the Dark Elf King. He slays who he must, has mercy on no one, is relentless in his hunt, and never tires of seeing his prey fall. He is Triktapic, assassin, spy, most feared of the Dark Elves.

Now, in the midst of his King’s complicated plans to expand the Dark Elves’ holdings into the mortal realm, for the first time, Trik finds his loyalties divided. For no Elf, Dark or Light, can turn away from their Chosen.

Unbeknownst to the mortal realm, the battle between Light and Dark is being brought to their doorstep. The only one who can keep it at bay holds darkness in his heart like a lover, and the one who can sway that heart must decide if she can look beyond his black past, beyond his evil nature and see the man he is destined to be.

The question must be asked, does love really cover a multitude of sins? Can true love actually conquer all or will his darkness consume those around him until all that stands is an assassin with the blood of the mortal realm on his hands?

I love me a good elf story!

Thumbs Up!
There is no messing about with this novel. From the very first page we are thrown head first into the action and I loved that. 

Our hero is a dark elf (with one or too secrets up his sleeve). But how cool is that. He has done BAD things in his life and he is aware of that and doesn't try to explain away or tone down his deeds. 

Cassie (heroine) was adorable in her awkwardness during her first few meetings with Trik and her father had me giggling with the questionnaire he prepared for any potential boyfriends. 

The idea that Cassie and Trik's souls could talk to each other was a great concept. 

The thing I loved the most was that although there are Dark Elves and Light Elves each of them have a streak of viciousness.

Thumbs Down!
I did feel that the relationship between Trik and Cassie moved very quickly  - but then there is a magical bond joining them...

Some slight info-dumping moments as characters explained the ins and outs of things to each other but with the bam-bam-bam speed of the story it was the best chance to get things across that we needed to know 

So actually I technically don't have any thumbs down points.

Except for...

*shakes kindle*

Why no more pages?

Final Thoughs!
I really enjoyed this book. As I said before at the beginning there is absolutely no messing about and I loved being sucked into the story. 

There were moments that had me on the edge of my seat and cringing in a 'NO don't do it!' kind of way, but like watching an accident about to happen I quite happily turned to the next page. 

Great fun. 

Author Info!

Quinn lives in beautiful NW Arkansas with her husband, son, Doberman and cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She is beyond thankful that she has been blessed to be able to write full time and hopes the readers know how much all of their support means to her. Some of her hobbies include reading, exercising, crochet, and spending time with family and friends. She gives all credit of her success to God because he gave her the creative spirit and vivid imagination it takes to write.

Links

Website: http://www.quinnloftisbooks.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/QuinnLoftisBooks?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthQuinnLoftis

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5014564.Quinn_Loftis

http://www.amazon.com/Elfin-ebook/dp/B00ASGTKR0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1362781638&sr=8-1&keywords=Elfin

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/elfin-quinn-loftis/1114023032?ean=2940016128511

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/269223

Giveaway!

Win 1 of 3 signed Quinn Loftis Swag Packs
International
Ends 30th April

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten Tuesday #3

You can find out all about Top Ten Tuesday at the Broke and Bookish Blog

Top Ten Books I HAD to Buy...But Are Still Sitting on My Shelf Un-read!

Haha! Be glad this is a list of 10 or you could be here aaaaaaaall day ;)

1. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making by Catherynne M. Valente

2. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson - it seems like everyone has read this book!

3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - I finished Outlander (or Cross Stitch) but then I left too long between finishing it and getting my hands on Dragonfly in Amber so I still have to read it. Maybe there is a re-read of Outlander in my near future?)

4. Seeing Redd (Book 2 - The Looking Glass Wars) by Frank Beddor - another case of reading book 1 and leaving too long to get hold of the 2nd. By the time I got it I had lost any sense of urgency I had to read it. 

5. Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson - It seemed like a good idea at the time... *whistles*

6. Phoenix Rising by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

7. The Time Machine/The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells

8. I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett - I LOVED the first 3 books in the Tiffany Aching series, but there was too much of a gap between the 3rd and the 4th. I jumped to but it but I have been dragging me feet to read it ever since. 

9 & 10. Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay and Between the Lines by Jodi Piccoult and Samantha Van Leer

These are both books that I LOVED the idea off and just haven't got round to yet. *scuffs floor*

I haven't seen the Dexter TV series either so it is going to be a complete surprise when I get round to reading it! :)

Happy Tuesday y'all! Hope you have a good and safe week!

A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons (How to Train Your Dragon Bk #6) by Cressida Cowell

It's Hiccup's birthday, but that's not going to keep him from getting into trouble. To save his dragon, Toothless, from being banished, Hiccup must sneak into the Meathead Public Library and steal the Viking's most sacred book. But the Vikings see books as a dangerous influence, and keep them locked up and under heavy guard. To save his friend, Hiccup must brave the Hairy Scary Librarian and his dreadful army of Meathead Warriors and face off against the formidable Driller-Dragons. Will he make it out and live to see his next birthday?

(Description from Goodreads)

Thumbs Up

In Hiccup’s world books are seen as ‘a highly dangerous civilising influence’ and because of this they are kept in the Meathead Public Library – a castle guarded by hundreds of men, driller dragons and, worse of all, the Hairy Scary Librarian who will actually kill you if he catches you. And thanks to Toothless destroying ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ by Professor Yobbish (that Gobber the Belch stole from the library) Camacazi , Hiccup and Fishlegs set themselves a mission – to get a replacement from the library.

I love how Camacazi, Fishlegs and Hiccup are all becoming closer to each other even though Camacazi’s mother is the chief of another tribe she is game for anything and jumps right in with Hiccup and Fishlegs when they are in need of help.

Thumbs Down

With this book there isn’t a great deal of pages dedicated to the story. There is about 200 pages of story and then a good chunk at the back of the book is made up of ‘Dragon Profiles’ and a ‘Dragonese Dictionary’ – fantastic fun for younger readers! (Ok, I admit I tried some dragon lingo out on my mum, she just looked at me funny,”

“You dear reader, I am sure cannot imagine what it is like to live in a world in which books are banned.
For surely, such things will never happen in the Future?Thank Thor that you live in a time and a place where people have the right to live and think and write and read their books in peace and there are no needs or Heroes anymore…And spare a thought for those who have not been so lucky. “

Top Ten Tuesday #2

You can find out all about Top Ten Tuesday at the Broke and Bookish Blog

Top Ten Books on My Spring 2013 TBR List!

I am assuming this is books that I want to read in the spring and not books that are coming out in the spring that I want to read, yeah?

Well, I'll work on that assumption. 

I have a TBR pile that will kill me in my sleep should it ever fall over (no change there) but there are some books that I am wanting read and out the pile. 

1 & 2. How to Steal a Dragon's Sword and How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel by Cressida Cowell

This is book 9 and 10 in the How to Train Your Dragon Series! Believe me when I tell you it is a miracle I have stuck with this series. Not because there is anything wrong with the books! But because my attention tends to wander - most of the series I read have 6 books max!

3 & 4. The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie R. King and Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch

Both of these books are the first in a series and I have been meaning to re-read them for months so I can re-fresh my memory (and love for them - they were AMAZING) and read the rest! 

5 & 6. Catching Fire and Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I read and thoroughly enjoyed Hunger Games but I couldn't get any further than page 100 (or so) in Catching Fire. But they are still sitting on my shelf eating up space. The one thing that is putting me off bunging then in the 2nd hand-shop box is that so many people have told me that Catching Fire was their favourite of the series. 

I am going to try and give them one more try!

7. Misery by Stephen King

I have never read a Stephen King - I don't like watching horror so reading it is an absolute NONO in my books. 

But it seems like everyone has read at least 1 so I picked what I could figure was a not so freaky one. 

Once I have read this I can officially say I have read a Stephen King novel. 

8. Jaws by Peter Benchley

DUDE! Just look at the cover! Classic!

(enough to put me off of open water for life)

9. Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

I seriously need to get this read already!

(I love the old-school fantasy covers that have a scene (or character) out of the book :))

10. ????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

I am going to surprise myself with number ten I think! :)

Happy Tuesday Everyone!