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I read a lot of books and I write about them on here. Mummy Geek is sometimes a guest blogger....people seem to love her.....Oh and you can find me on Twitter.....@book_geek_says. Shortlisted for Blog of the Year by the 2015 Love Stories Awards...THANK YOU!!

Wednesday 27 July 2016

Review: The Natural Way of Things

 
I read this book a little while ago, but I'm only just getting around to reviewing it as I didn't really know what I was going to say about it...but I need to do it so here is what I think...
 
The cover is really misleading which is rather good. It's subtle in many ways at alluding to the content but still, it's so nice and flowery and happy! The blurb is really rather dark and makes this book sound more intense and dark than it actually is so don't let that put you off.
 
The book has a very interesting concept of a group of women with a link all being kept like slaves, like animals, but it's not totally unique. What I did find more unique was that this novel seemed to hold/describe/take shape of an analysis of behaviour and how people, captor or prisoner, begin to behave when there is no hope of escape. That was really interesting.
 
The characters and how people change in a situation such as this varied in how convincing each was displayed. Some seemed far to caricature-y while others were outright brills....odd mix.
 
For the ending, it thoroughly annoyed me. It was not enough to be acceptably setting up the book for a follow on but neither was it enough to draw any form of conclusion....grrrrrr. Also, it was too vague to even suggest to anything and if the book could have multiple paths as to what next.
 
Anyway, different in many ways, mundane in others, and not as twisted as you think.
 
Book Geek
:-\ 

Tuesday 19 July 2016

Review: Saint's Blood

Publisher: Jo Fletcher
 
Falcio, Kest and Brasti are back and of course, they have battles to fight, thrones to win and a million other hurdles to overcome...but man do they do it all with flare and humour and do it well.
 

It started all back in 2014 with Traitor's Blade, and that is where YOU should start if you have not met these three before. And you should defos start this series if you are a fantasy fan!

So, on with this one. The story and the action are a tad darker than in the past two books. Things are a little more bleak, the violence is a little more hard core, and there are a few moments that really are brutal beyond brutal. But, this did fit with the novel and nothing seemed out of place. It seems as through these books SDC and the characters have evolved (as well as the plot of course), and therefore none of this extra darkness seems out of place, in fact it is positively needed.

But, have no fear avid fans, Falcio's narrative is still humorous. F's voice is still true and it's brilliant. His relationships with K and B are perfect and those two are fantastic characters. We are getting to know the other members of the crew better too and that's great. Aline is superb and is getting better with each book. She's turning into one ballsy lady.

I have to comment on one thing in particular. It takes a lot for a book to make me laugh out loud but EVEN MORE for a book to get me to cry. This one got me to fill up on my train in to work and feel glad I was wearing sunglasses. They were happy tears, and I give SDC a round of applause for writing a book that is so consuming that this happened to me.

I don't want to comment on the plot, as I really don't want to give anything away, I really, really, don't. But I hope my love of the characters, the writing style and the emotion this book drew from me is enough to get you to read it.

Oh and YAY this isn't the last time we will see Falcio, Kest and Brasti. Oh, and Arshole - BRILLIANT.

Happy Reading

BG
:-D

Tuesday 12 July 2016

Review: Dietland

Publisher: Atlantic
 
 
First off I'd like to start off by saying how weird it was that the day I started reading this book, a This American Life pod cast I was listening to talked about it.....it's a good pod cast in general so have a listen if you don't already!
 
Anyway...
 
This book is not what you think it will be...don't judge it by it's cover, don't judge it as chicklit....yes it may seem like it to an extent but it's far more hardcore...if anything, I'd call it anti chicklit! Yeah, I said it.....
 
For the characters, I loved Plum from start to finish and her metamorphosis is well deserved, I became very attached to her very quickly and all I wanted for the entire read was for her to be happy.
 
The Jennifer sections are told in a VERY different voice the whole way through. They bring a really dark element to this story. But I liked them as they seemed more factual, more real and less flight of fancy. Also, they were so stark to Plum's adventures that they gave real depth to the novel in places where it may have lacked.
 
This is a vibrant, warming and comforting story, which houses humour and horror all at the same time. It is a real female call to arms and coming of self book - I'm not saying coming of age as Plum isn't too young, she just needs to be herself.
 
Read this, read it all
 
Happy Reading
 
BG


Monday 4 July 2016

Review: The Arrival of Missives

Publisher: Unsung Stories
 
Not had anything from these guys for a little while, but when I do get something it's great as I have been a fan in the past.
 
I'm going to warn you now. This review is going to be short as it's a short book and I know that if I waffle on too long I'm going to give too much away. I really don't want to give anything away as there is a real treat in between the covers.
 
So, to start, I love the humour. The young and innocent voice is perfect and I don't think Shirley really realises she's being funny. Obviously AW knows she is, but you completely forget that. The whimsical tone is perfect and really does make you believe this is a novel from the post WW1 days.
 
This could be, upon first reading, the traditional story of a love triangle and misguided youthful love, but that all changes and it's perfectly awesome when the change occurs. It makes things VERY interesting and in some ways answers some questions.
 
A fab mash up of styles and genres with a touch of literary misogyny and feminism nods thrown in.
 
Happy Ready
 
BG :-)