Category Archives: World of Books

Isabella Bradford: A Wicked Pursuit

Book review, World of Books January 1, 2014 Comments: 2

Like I said, time for romance. This time of the historical variety. And quite lovely too.

From my obviously feminist perspective a guy falling for a girl only after he got to know her so well wicked pursuit(before he thought he should marry her very much better looking but rather vapid sister) is a bit difficult to swallow but it worked in this novel.

In his defense, he is rather young and full of himself and didn’t know better but luckily for Gus (Augusta) he came to his senses. Well destiny interfered and his ego got the rather needed deflation.

But it’s actually such a cute love story to read full of funny and sometimes heart-wrenching twists. the best thing is that Gus is such a brave little thing, confronting all her problems, not running away from them, that is so rare and I loved her for it.

She is also a person who deals with her problems from a loving point of view and it works.

It was great fun seeing Gus and Harry fall in love.

Now there are two more free brothers left in the Breconridge family…

 

“As the eldest son of the Duke of Breconridge, Harry Fitzroy is duty-bound to marry—and marry well. Giving up his rakish ways for the pleasures of a bride’s bed becomes a delightful prospect when Harry chooses beautiful Lady Julia Barclay, the catch of the season. But a fall from his horse puts a serious crimp in his plans. Abandoned by Julia before he can propose, the unlucky bachelor finds himself trapped in the country in the care of Julia’s younger sister.

Harry has never met a woman like Lady Augusta. Utterly without artifice, Gus is clever and capable, and seems to care not a fig for society. After a taboo kiss awakens passion that takes them both by surprise, Harry realizes he’d almost given his heart to the wrong sister. While London tongues wag, he’ll use his most seductive powers of persuasion to convince the reluctant Gus that she belongs with him—as his equal, his love, his wife.”

Sarah Morgan: Sleigh Bells in the Snow

Book review, World of Books December 29, 2013 Comments: 2

It’s that time of year when I just love curling up with a romance book and enjoying my evenings at home.

And doesn’t this title sound like just the thing for such an evening? It certainly does.

I loved the chemistry and the budding love story between Kayla and Jackson, but I especially enjoyed the fact that it’s Kayla’s journey of life, coming free of the psychological burdens of her childhood, all with sleigh bellsthe help of a gorgeous, smart guy (I wouldn’t mind doing the same if Jackson was there beside me). 😉

The story is set at the week leading to Christmas, in as perfect setting as one can imagine for it, Vermont (well, I imagined it as perfect while reading the book).

The best thing about this book (if we ignore the sizzling chemistry that you will feel while reading it – incredible!) is that the end is realistic. 🙂

The rest of characters are fun to be around, and since Jackson has 2 brothers, I’ll be visiting Vermont (virtually) again it seems. 🙂

“Once upon a time, Christmas was Kayla Green’s favorite time of year. Now all the workaholic wants for Christmas is for it to be over—as fast as possible! So when duty calls her to snowy Vermont to close a deal with a new client, Kayla is grateful for an excuse to avoid the holidays for another year.

Jackson O’Neil left a thriving business behind to return home and salvage his family’s resort—it’s in his blood, and he can’t let it fail. Now that he’s got marketing whiz Kayla Green working with him to put Snow Crystal on the map, success is on the horizon. The fact they strike enough sparks off each other to power all the Christmas lights in Vermont is just an added bonus.

Kayla might be an expert at her job, but she’s out of her depth with Jackson—he makes her crave the happy-ever-after she once dreamed of, and it’s terrifying. As the snowflakes continue to swirl, will the woman who doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas finally fall under its spell?”

This is what I think it must look like in Vermont

This is what I think it must look like in Vermont

N.K. Jemisin: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms #4 (End)

Book review, World of Books December 23, 2013 Comments: 9

This is where we part ways with Yeine for the time being.

The last week’s questions were brought by Lauren of the Violin in a Void and here they are:

1. Yeine shows us the meaning of esui when she summons Nahadoth, makes an offering of herself, and asks him to make love to her like the god he is. What did you think of her decision and the scenes that followed? Cosmic sex or verging on comic? What importance does sex has for their relationship?kingdom

I was thinking she has some serious case of esui. 🙂 But I think their cosmic sex is important for their relationship because of trust and letting go of yourself in order to make a point of love. At least, that’s how I read it.

 

2. Relad makes a last-minute play for succession by offering to help the Darre. Are you satisfied with his role in this book or do you think he should have had more of a presence? What do you think of his strategy to get Yeine to choose him over Scimina?

I’m satisfied, especially since I didn’t expect anything much from him I admit. And I think his strategy was rather good, unexpected and back-stabbing when it comes to Scimina which I enjoyed.

3. The final chapters show us more of Dekarta’s character than the rest of the book. How do you feel about him now, knowing the truth of his motives and of Kinneth’s death?

Hmm, I’m not sure. I don’t think that not being responsible for Kinneth’s death absolves him of anything. he still did everything else. Although he does seem to have some nice emotions in himself it seems.

 

4. The Succession Ceremony: Absolutely nothing turns out the way anyone thought it would. Did any of it match your expectations? What are your thoughts on what happened?
[Note: so much happened in this ceremony that I have separate questions for Itempas and Yeine’s roles. You can discuss them there rather than in this question].

Nothing matched my expectations except for the Relad part. I was left reeling trying to figure out everything that was happening.

I could have done with a better explanation of Yeine’s change, it seemed like she became another person and there was no Yeine left even though I could tell the author wanted to convince us otherwise. I’m not really convinced it’s still her.

 

5. We finally meet Itempas, a mad god whose overpowering love and hate caused all this suffering. What did you think of him?

God, I hope he suffers as a human for eternity. It’s probably going to take him that long to learn to love. He’s a bit of a psychopath if you ask me.

 

6. As a goddess, Yeine makes some dramatic decisions and changes, like altering Sky, killing Kurue, and trapping Itempas in mortal form. How do you feel about this new goddess-Yeine? Would you have down anything differently?

I think she made some great choices and changes with her power. What I’m not so enthusiastic about is that I can’t think of her as Yeine. 😦

 

7. Wrapping up: What did you think of the book as a whole? Any loose ends you’d like tied up? How might the world be changed by these events? Will you read the next book to find out?

I will definitely read the next book but if I got it correctly, it’s going to focus on Itempas and not Yeine and Nahadoth. I don’t think there are any loose ends, I just wish Yeine goddess felt more like Yeine to me. Unfortunately, it felt just like the goddess, no Yeine.

Hopefully, that will change in the future.

N.K. Jemisin: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms read-along #3

Book review, World of Books December 17, 2013 Comments: 14

Yes, I skipped number 2. Sorry.

I’ll go on with answering this week’s questions, provided by Andres, The Little Red Reviewer.

1. T’vril takes Yeine to the servant’s party. What did you think of that party, and of Sieh’s part in it?
kingdom
I loved the fact that the servants have their hidden pleasures that are completely off limits to the inner family. I also think it’s Sieh’s way of letting his nature out, getting back at the inner family through parties for those they consider lesser.
2. Yeine presents herself as such a nice, compassionate person. Did your feelings about her change after the meeting she and Nahadoth had with Gemd?
No. She’s a leader and even though she didn’t expect what happened, she knew she had to go with it. I think her now  a strong person as well.
3. On page 230 we learn about the Darre concept of “esui”, of attraction to danger. Have you ever experienced Esui? did it help you, or hurt you? Do you think it will help Yeine, or hurt her?
I loved that! We need a word for that! That is definitely a concept that exists. I experienced it and it didn’t help me but it give me pleasure at the time it was happening and it did make me learn about myself. I think the same might happen to Yeine as well.
4. What did you think of the reveal regarding Ygreth’s (Kinneth’s mother) death? Was it something you expected?  How does being forced to do something like that (or knowing you’ll be forced to) shape a person?
I didn’t see that coming at all. It does show though that Anameri think more of personal success than of the people they love because they obviously come second to it. I’m not sure how does that shape a person, as I’m having a hard time generally understanding the Anameri.
5. If I’m reading it correctly, the ceremony can require a human sacrifice (to show that the heir is strong enough to kill anyone, if asked).  Who might Scimina sacrifice? Who might Yeine sacrifice? 
If I’m reading it correctly, the ceremony does require a human sacrifice as it’s not possible to survive handling the stone and without the ceremony can’t take place.
Hmm, that’s a good question. Scimina does not strike me as someone who actually has someone she loves that she could sacrifice. Can she sacrifice her looks? A part of her? I don’t think anything else comes close to her heart.
As for Yeine, I don’t think she’ll be sacrificing anything but if she ends up having to, T’Vril or her grandmother come to mind.
6.The ball is only a few days away. What do you think will happen?
This reminds me of the Lynch read-along. I have no idea what will happen. But if Yeine is the sacrifice, I think she might survive it. And that might be the cause of why she’s trying so hard not to lose herself and her memories.

I succumbed

I've been thinking, World of Books December 11, 2013 Comments: 3

If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been lately and what I’ve been doing, the answer is home, watching Vampire Diaries.

Yes, I watch teenage vampire soap operas it seems. And make no mistake, it’s a soap opera type of series.

I can’t help but be reminded of Penny in Big Bang Theory getting addicted to a video game. I have a bit of a geeky taste, yes. I adore Big Bang Theory and laugh my heart out watching it.

I also love science-fiction and fantasy and can talk about books and movies from both genres while also knowing the difference between Star Wars and Star Trek (I do get lost in the variants and generations a bit though when they stray from Captain Janeway, Captain Picard and Captain Kirk).

But to get back to the point – I got addicted to Vampire Diaries. Luckily for me, I’m half-way through season 4 and I won’t watch season 5 until it’s finished but that won’t take me that long as four combined.vampire

I feel a bit stupid as I stopped reading books at some point because the story just got winded (the same happened with The House of Night books, which if they ever get turned into a series, will also be a teenage vampire soap opera.

Anyway, the story and characters have gaping holes at some points and you feel like tearing your hair out, but it somehow just works and sucks you in. I don’t even want to go into all the violence and alcohol that might actually sound more than tempting after watching this (I know the whisky they keep drinking is certainly tempting me).

Still, I can’t help it – I spend all my free time watching it and enjoying every moment. 🙂

Luckily there is not much left so I’ll be back to my regular life soon. And keeping time with my read-along.

That is definitely a telling sign, I don’t even read because I need to watch this.

Addicted.

N. K. Jemisin: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms read-along, #1

Book review, World of Books December 2, 2013 Comments: 9

I am so glad I got convinced into doing this read-along as well because the book has got me seriously hooked. 🙂

This week’s questions were brought by Susan from Dab of Darkness.

Beware, spoilers lurk below.

1) We’ve met our narrator, Yeine. What are your first impressions? Do you like the chosen form of story telling so far? 
Actually, yes I do. It’s obvious at some point in the future the fight for the throne has gotten bad and she kingdomis suffering for it and while doing that remembering how it started. I like the little interludes where she tries to find some clearness of mind. It makes you like her from the start – how hard she tries despite thinking she’ll die soon (or lose all her memory).

2) Yeine essentially has two families – the Darre (her father’s people) and the Arameri (her mother’s people). What do you think of her two halves? Do you think one will win out over the other within Yeine?

I’m thinking if one wins it might be Darre. But if she can harness the best of both worlds, that would be great. I mean she’s already doing it. And it seems to be going well so far.

3) We meet the Enefa, the enslaved gods. Which do you wish to know the backstory to the most? What do you think of their enslavement?

I’m still not sure how that came about, I wonder if it will get better explained later on. It’s certainly a very strange twist. I think I’ll go with Nahadoth because it seems there is some kind of love in that story. I mean, the jealousy is certainly there…

4) Nahadoth finally catches up to Yeine and his first words and actions are mysteries to her. Gibbering or meaning? 

Of course there is meaning to that. We just don’t know what it means because Yeine doesn’t know what it means. Hopefully we will.

5) We’ve met the competition for the unspoken throne – Lady Scimina and Lord Relad. How do you think they will complicate Yeine’s life?

In unpredictable ways. I hope Scimina doesn’t turn to Darre which seems to be what Relad thinks. Or if she does, Yeine stops her smartly. I can’t even begin to guess what’s on Relad’s mind which makes me wary of him. There might be some bad possibilities in that.

6) The Enefa obviously want something from Yeine. What do you think that is and how do you think Yeine will react to their wants? 

Well, if I were to guess, I’d say she might have something to do with freeing them. I don’t see any other reason why they would be so very interested otherwise.

Since  Yeine strikes me as  reasonable and fair, if what they plan to do is honest and doesn’t hurt innocent people, I think she’ll go with it.

See you next Monday!

In the meantime, go check what my fellow readers wrote:

Dab of Darkness

Books without any pictures

On Starships & Dragonwings

The Little Red Reviewer

Violin in a Void

Many a True Nerd

Nashville Book Worm

 

 

Scott Lynch: The Republic of Thieves, the final thoughts

Book review, World of Books November 25, 2013 Comments: 15

Our adventure  in Karthain is at an end but it seems there are many more awaiting us in the future. 😉

This week’s questions were brought to us by Allie:

In Espara:

1. The Republic of Thieves:  It’s the first and final performance!  What did you think of the play?  Were you entertained, or eager to get on with the rest of the story?  Also, how do you feel about how the play fits in the novel, in terms of the story and the characters who images (2)play the parts?

It was fun but at this point I was very eager to get to the Karthain part of the story. It was fun to read about Espara though and I think the whole interlude fit nicely into the story. But that’s it for me, it was just an interlude to get to the more interesting part. 😉

 

2. The Other Performance:  Of course, the GB and company had another important performance to get through—the one that ensures none of them end up hanged!  What was your favorite part of this scheme?  Do you agree with their plan for dealing with Moncraine’s treachery?

I don’t think there was anything else they could have done about Moncraine. But that whole performance was worthy of theater! It was such smart thinking on their feet and under true duress, I was very glad to see it succeed. Best part? I’m not sure – possibly the one where Sabetha and Locke get the unexpected lecture…

 

In Karthain…

3. The Election:  It seems Lovaris was indeed the final trick, and the election is over.  Are you satisfied with how things turned out? Do you wish that the election had focused more on the political problems of Karthain, or are you satisfied with the mudslinging and pranks that went on between Locke and Sabetha?

I’m satisfied. With everything. I didn’t think Lynch would pull another stand-off between Locke and Sabetha (like we had in the beginning of the book) but he had, and I’m glad he did. I think that works best for the dynamics of the duo. No one getting the upper hand.

 

4. The War: Do you have any speculation on what specific issues might have escalated the two Bondsmagi factions rivalry into this kind of violence?  What do you think the surviving Bondsmagi will do next, with all their gathered money and knowledge?

I knew the faction wanted to take over power but I thought it was only political. I didn’t understand that both parties would actually aim to kill the opponents. I didn’t see that coming at all, and  for the surviving Bondsmagi, I have no idea what they will do or where will they go, but I think they lost an important player at the end of the story.

Why it escalated? Because the faction wanted to gain more power and basically take over the world?

 

5. Patience: Given the final revelation that Patience does hate Locke for what he did to the Falconer, what do you make of her behavior towards Locke throughout the book?  Do you think her plan of vengeance is well suited to Locke?  What do you make of the Black images (1)Amaranth story now, as well as the prophecy she threw on top?

Oh hell! Can I just say that I didn’t feel bad at all by the end of the book and her downfall. She really got on my nerves with that whole “I’m so much better, stronger and smarter than you Locke and I’ll basically ruin your life with what I’m about to reveal”.

I don’t trust her – especially since she explained why they called her the Seamstress. I think whatever she knew about Locke’s future, she made it sound in a way that would fit her machinations and sound bad for Locke.

And speaking of her predictions, I know she couldn’t have foreseen her own future but how did she miss the Falconer’s?! Because she interfered with it?

 

6. The Epilogue: Speaking of vengeance, do you think the Falconer’s vengeance against his mother was merited or excessively cruel, given the circumstances?  On that note, how do you feel about the Falconer’s transformation and possible status as a continuing villain?

After what she did to Locke’s state of mind and after her arrogance and conceit, I’m fine with it. It’s obvious she also had her fingers in Falconer’s fate so it seems she’s actually a bad guy (woman). Also, I don’t think there was much else he was able to do at that point.

As for Falconer being the villain, well, it’s SCARY AS HELL. Honestly, the anger and power in him, I’m scared for Locke. Albeit, if we listen to Patience, it will take some time for Locke to find and lose the 3 things, so he might be fine for quite some time yet (before the silver rain). I think the Falconer will go after the Bondsmagi first.

 

7. Wrapping up:  Thus ends the third book in the Gentleman Bastard sequence.  How do you think it compares with the first two?  In the end, do you prefer the Espara storyline or the Karthain storyline, or did you like them both equally?

I wish the guys would finish an adventure richer than when they started with which shouldn’t be that difficult as they are always poor in the beginning. But no, that doesn’t seem possible it seems. 🙂 At least no one is dying this time around…

Of course I prefer the Karthain storyline, Espara was fun but the real stuff was happening in Karthain.

Final thoughts: Honestly, I felt kind of stupid Jean had to point it out to Locke (and me) that they better run for it, as someone will probably invade Karthain asap. 🙂

Check out the final thoughts of my fellow Gentleman readers:

Tethyan Books

Violin in a Void

Over the Effing Rainbow

Genkinahito’s Blog

Lynn’s Book Blog

The Little Red Reviewer

Joma’s Fantasy Books

Coffee, Cookies and Chili Peppers

Theft and Sorcery

Dab of Darkness

 

Hunger Games: Catching Fire (the movie)

World of Books November 20, 2013 Comments: 10

I was very lucky to win tickets to the Croatian premiere of the movie so I watched it yesterday. For the first time. I believe there will be another movie date for the same movie in the near future. 😉

I guess that tells you enough of what I think of it. 🙂

katn

I’ve read the books quite some time ago (I do think I’ll be reading them again) and loved them. Now I watched the first two movies of the series, I can say I’m happy with how much they are sticking to the story and that Jennifer Lawrence deserved the Oscar she received.

The movie is a ride from the start to the finish, even the parts where the story is not action-packed, it’s either emotionally or atmospherically strong.

Jennifer brought the Katniss from the book to such unbelievable life that I actually understood more of the book character while watching the movie, than I did when I was reading it. The same parts that is. In the end, I understood that Katniss is a force to reckon with just because she is a girl who wants to love her life in peace with her family and will do anything to protect them (I wonder if she would be Scorpio, I don’t remember if the date of her birth is given in the book).

Katniss is an incredibly well written character and very different from what we as YA readers are used to. And Jennifer brought it all to life as if she was born to be Katniss.

I find it difficult to put my thoughts into words as I’m still reeling from the movie. The bad thing? I know what to expect in the next movies and I’m scared of the emotional backlash it will cause. The good thing? I get to see 2 more movies

peeta

starring these wonderful actors. And they are all truly great in the way they brought the book to life.

The most incredible thing? The life-like feel of the movie. The fact that you can see Effie’s make-up the way it would look up close if you were standing there. People generally looking like they would if you saw them  on the street. The slow turn of the tides, caused by Katniss being Katniss. I wish I could say more on that subject but it would spoil the future films for the people who haven’t read the books.

If you have a chance, do read them. The background will be better explained and the politics around the story will start to take shape.

And speaking of politics, Donald Sutherland made sure President Snow is portrayed in perfect unison with the book. Masterful!

Just watching the two of them acting and interacting (Donald and Jennifer) makes it a worthwhile trip to the cinema.

If you’ve seen the movie, do let me know what you thought. 🙂effie

P.S. Honorable mentions for being great in bringing characters to life go to: Woody Harrelson for Haymitch, Elizabeth Banks for Effie, Jena Malone for Johanna, Sam Claflin for Finnick and of course, Josh Hutcherson for Peeta.

 

Scott Lynch: The Republic of Thieves read-along #4

Book review, World of Books November 18, 2013 Comments: 19

This week’s questions were provided by Andrea, The Little Red Reviewer.

It’s becoming obvious we’re heading towards the end, I feel a bit raw with this week’s discoveries.

Let’s start with the Espara timeline.images (2)

1. We finally know why Sabetha dies her hair, and that’s so disturbing even the Thiefmaker under Shade’s Hill was disgusted by it. Too dark for this world? Or just right?

Nothing is too dark for this world it seems. But it was almost vomit-inducing. Seriously?! How do people come up with these ideas?! And I would guess it might not have been an actual idea of Mr. Lynch, unfortunately, I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that actually happened during human history.

Hope they burn in hell.

2. The “Asino” brothers are drunken idiots, but they’re not blind. What did you think of the little rendezvous they helped arrange for Sabetha and Locke?

Yaaay! They have good hearts and teenage hormones. Those aren’t mutually exclusive, the heart just might not have time to do its job under all that wine most of the time. 😉

3. Locke managed to get everyone out of the Boulidazi mess we discussed last week . . . what do you think of this latest  Boulidazi complication?

A little rock in the road. 🙂 After the kiss, I think this will be easy. Then again, it might blow up in their faces. Who knows with Mr. Lynch…

And back to Karthain (I’m jumping around in time here, leaving the most important bits for last)

images (1)

4.Time is flying, and the election is getting closer. Desperation calls for cheap tricks. I think my favorite so far is Sabetha’s special roof guards. What’s your favorite election dirty trick so far?

That was brilliant! Ingenious! I think this is my favorite trick. Because it’s funny.

5.There’s a mole in the Deep Roots. Was that person’s identity a surprise to you? And how did you like Locke’s method of identifying the person?

Well it wasn’t surprise once they caught him – it was obvious he was going to be the double agent for Sabetha. I must say I expected Locke to figure it out sooner. The method was good, but I really thought it would be easier for him to figure it out. Oh well, he did have other things to think about…

6.What’s so important about this Lovaris fellow? The election is right around the corner, so why introduce someone new so late in the game? 

Who is Lovaris? I know I read the name and now I can’t remember who he is. Shit. I need to go check.

Oh, yes, I remember. Well, by the end of those two chapters, it seems he is an unwilling participant in a ploy of Locke’s. Possibly. I love the fact that his name makes me think of someone looking for money (lova means money in slang Croatian).

7. It’s so nice that Locke and Sabetha can finally have some nice, normal dinner dates. He even cooks her dinner! But that sneaky Patience, always interrupting everything! Finally, she promises some answers. that’s nice. what, Locke is WHO? Locke is a WHAT? How much of it do you believe?

Basically all, except the fact he is actually the White/Black Amaranth. Or an actual Bondsmagi. Whatever happened, I think he is another person from what Patience thinks. I also agree with Jean when he says she twisted the information she gave him so it would sound as awful as it did.

I’m really scared about reading the end. 😦

 

Here is what my fellow readers had to say about it all:

The Little Red Reviewer

Over The Effing Rainbow

Dab of Darkness

Tethyan Books

Lynn’s Book Blog

Genkinahito’s Blog

Theft and Sorcery

Joma’s Fantasy Books

I wish I could write

I've been thinking, World of Books November 10, 2013 Comments: 21

I think many voracious readers actually think this.

I love reading so much and my imagination works overtime (especially when I’m asleep or resting) so I can’t help but wonder if my imagined scenarios might make for a good reading.writing

It’s just that I am no writer. I neither have the knowledge nor the discipline (especially the discipline).

I do wish though that I could write about all these things I enjoy reading about so much. The romance, the thrilling stories, the paranormal characters, the post-apocalyptic society, the friendship, the bravery, the tragedy of personal traits…

There are so many things I enjoy reading about that fill me with enormous anticipation and happiness and that put a smile on my face. I often wish I could return the favor by doing the same.

It’s just, I am no novel writer.

I tend to express myself in short sentences and even explain things to people in short and (hopefully) concise speech. I hate long explanations, writing long essays or anything that requires more than several sentences to be communicated.

Basically, I’ll never make a good novel writer. I just I wish I could though…

What good is interesting imagination if it can’t be put into words…