Ten Thousand Saints – Part One

 

*** SPOILER ALERT ***

If you have not yet read Ten Thousand Saints READ THIS AT YOUR PERIL! Thank you x :D

 

     I started reading Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson one week ago and I have already finished Part One – Sad Songs. I am not just saying this because I am a book lover who would read anything that dropped into their lap and think it was wonderful, but this book is truly brilliant. It is a coming-of-age novel, which is not something I would normally pick up and read. But I was reading an article with Asa Butterfield, and also on his twitter page, in which he mentioned he was in the film adaption of this book. So I thought I’d give it a go!

     Normally, I would pick up a book and travel into a fantasy world, completely removed from our own. So picking up this book, about Jude, Teddy, Eliza and Johnny set in Vermont and New York in 1987/1988, drinking and getting high, was a world away from what I am normally used to. Reading about Jude and Teddy’s ‘normal’ life of drink and drugs and getting high was a new experience for me and throwing Eliza into the mix just made it even more compelling. Even though I knew Teddy’s death was coming I didn’t expect it to happen in the manner that it did, even though it was very fitting, and Jude’s thought of ‘it could easily have been him lying dead on the floor’ is a thought that I also had. How different would this story be if Jude had died and Teddy had lived? Would Teddy, Eliza and Johnny have ever really thought of him again?

     I find Eliza’s predicament fascinating and unique in the fiction world. Who would think of writing this? And whilst I was reading it I found myself thinking, what would I do in her situation? Who would I tell? I also love how protective Jude and Johnny are towards Eliza after finding out that she is having Teddy’s baby. Like they are both expectant fathers-to-be to this one unborn child, it is quite heart-warming. Although Eliza heart and mind are fraught with confusion as she develops feelings for the both of them – whilst having another’s child, even if that person was Johnny’s brother and Jude’s best friend.

     The one character I really feel for so far in this novel though, is Jude. He always seems to be on the back foot, especially when Eliza and Johnny decide, when the time comes to tell Eliza’s mother, to say that the baby is Johnny’s, you can feel Jude’s heart drop. Then when Johnny decides, on Eliza’s sixteenth birthday, that the best thing that he can do to try and keep things authentic, it to ask Eliza to marry him, you can feel Jude start to sink even further, even though he knows that Johnny isn’t doing it because he loves her, is he? Even though the general feeling to the reader by the latter stages of Part One is that Johnny isn’t as interested in girls as we are initially lead to believe, they still go through with the wedding (a Hindu wedding, which for some reason surprised me a bit) and Jude drives the newly-weds off in his father’s old campervan.

     And so commences Part Two – The Householders, which I am most looking forward to reading. If it is as compelling reading as Part One, I may have finished it by next week!

AngelClaireX

Books I Bought...

...Episode 1...

 As always, I was on the lookout for books on offer on m kindle (whether I own them in print or not they are handy to carry around on my kindle – not as heavy!) and I found these:-

 Firstly was Ten Thousand Saints by Eleanor Henderson. This isn’t something I would normally even consider looking at let alone buying but it was brought to my attention by Asa Butterfield on his Twitter page (@asabfb) as he is going to be starring in the movie as Jude, the protagonist in this novel. I am a big fan of Asa’s so I thought if it’s good enough for him I should give it a go. Broaden my horizons. Reading the blurb it sounds really interesting, you should go and check it out.

Secondly is Midwinterblood by Marcus Sedgwick. Marcus is one of my favourite authors and I do actually own this book in print but I can see me reading this again and again. His back-catalogue is definitely worth a read!

Thirdly is the eBook version of episode 1 of the BBC TV adaption of P.G. Wodehouse’s Blandings, Pig-Hoo-o-o-o-ey! I really enjoyed the series (the hilarious quips from Freddie –played be Jack Farthing – really make it for me!) so I hope that the books lives up to my expectations.

Next is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern which I bought in print. This was a recommendation in a video by Carrie Hope Fletcher and I thought it sounded brilliant, so we shall see (the cover’s also quite cool too!)

Lastly is Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. This is the second book in the Ender Saga and after recently finishing book 1 – Ender’s Game – I am looking forward to reading the second instalment as the first was amazing. So much so that I am considering starting it straight away!!

I am really looking forward to reading these books and I hope I have brought some books to your attention that you may not normally have picked up :D

AngelClaireX

DW50: A Big Hand for the Doctor

DW50: A Big Hand for the Doctor
Eoin Colfer

Synopsis

     London, 1900. The First Doctor is missing both his hand and his granddaughter, Soul Pirates intent on harvesting human limbs, the Doctor is promised a dangerous journey into a land he may never forget…

     This is the first short story in a series released for the upcoming 50^th anniversary (which was on 23^rd November 2013 - if you didn't know that what planet were you on!) so being a HUGE Doctor Who fan I thought ‘This is going to be my sort of book’ and having read Colfer’s Artemis Fowl books before, I was expecting great things.

     Unfortunately it didn’t meet my expectations. To me, it seems like Colfer’s debut (sorry Eoin) as everything else I have read of his has been so much better. I found it incredibly hard to understand and keep track of, especially as I didn’t read it in one go. It didn’t seem to flow, one minute you were here and the next, unexpectedly, you were there.

     It also didn’t seem like the qwerky, spontaneous Doctor that we all know and love. He doesn’t seem as fussed about the safety of Susan as much as he does his later companions, and she’s his granddaughter!

     Well, it wasn’t what I was expecting but there are 10 more to come, so things can only get better!

 

This can be purchased in print with all eleven short stories at Waterstones here: 11 Stories... Waterstones and at Amazon here: 11 Stories... Amazon

It can also be purchased on its own as an eBook.

 

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Percy Jackson Book 1

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Percy Jackson Book 1
Rick Riordan

Synopsis

     Look, I didn’t want to be a half-blood, I never asked to be the son of a Greek god.

     I was just a normal kid, going to school, playing basketball, skateboarding. The usual. Until I accidentally vaporized my maths teacher. That’s when things really started going wrong. Now I spend my time fighting with swords, battling monsters with my friends and generally trying to stay alive.

     This is the one where Zeus, God of the Sky, thinks I’ve stolen his lightning bolt – and making Zeus angry is a very bad idea.

 
 
     This is a fantastic concept for a series. Centered around 12-year-old Percy Jackson, a half-blood, and his two friends, Annabeth, also a half-blood, and Grover, a Satyr, this book follows them through the trials and tribulations that come hand in hand with being a demigod and trying to return Zeus’ stolen lightning bolt.

     Along the Way we meet an array of Greek Gods and hear re-worked myths and legends, lending themselves perfectly to the modern New York setting. Starting at the Yancy Academy, we follow Percy and his best, and only, friend Grover on a school trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, with Maths teacher Mrs. Dodds and the wheelchair bound Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner. After an unfortunate incident at the museum in which his Maths teacher is accidently vaporized, Percy is plunged straight into an unfamiliar world full of Greek Gods and Myths, Mythical Beats and Quests and a Summer Camp quite unlike any you have seen before.

  Having first discovered that his best friend, Grover, is a Satyr - half Goat – and that his Latin teacher from Yancy Academy, Mr. Brunner, is actually a Centaur called Chiron, you’d forgive him for seeming a bit overwhelmed upon his arrival to Camp Half-Blood. But then to be told that you are the Son of Poseidon! That is a lot for Percy to take in! And it is also a sure sign that this is going to be a fantastic read.

     After Percy is offered a quest to return the stolen lightning bolt, he, Annabeth and Grover meet Furies, Hades, Medusa, a Chimera, Ares and even Poseidon and Zeus. This book is a great introduction to this series. The characters are very endearing and the perils they suffer get you genuinely worried! The strong bonds of friendship between the protagonists is fantastic to read, with the sarcastic comments shared between Annabeth and Percy making you give a little giggle and also the joint history which Annabeth and Grover share give us a little mystery to wonder about. The fast paced writing is fantastic and keeps you on your toes. There is never a dull moment and makes for a very addictive read.

You can buy The Lightning Thief at Waterstones here: The Lightning Thief: Waterstones

And also at Amazon here: The Lightning Thief: Amazon

The White Queen - The Cousins' War Book 1

The White Queen – The Cousins' War Book 1

Philippa Gregory

Synopsis

      1464. Cousin is at war with cousin, as the houses of York and Lancaster tear themselves apart… And Elizabeth Woodville, a young Lancastrian widow, armed only with her beauty and her steely determination, seduces and marries the charismatic warrior king. Edward IV of York.

Crowned Queen of England, surrounded by conflict, betrayal and murder, Elizabeth rises to the demands of her position, fighting tenaciously for her family’s survival. Most of all she must defend her two sons, who become the central figures in a mystery that had confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the tower.

      The White Queen is set right at the heart of the War of the Roses – or The Cousin’s War. It is based on a true story, with a bit of artistic licencing. It is told from the perspective of Elizabeth Woodville, and begins after her husband Sir John Grey – a Lancastrian - is killed in battle by the Yorks. Shortly after Elizabeth goes to the King – at that point Edward IV, a York – to plead for her lands back, left to her by her husband. As soon as Elizabeth sees Edward, she is in love, and Philippa Gregory portrays that beautifully.

     Using historical accuracy and perfect storytelling, Gregory plots the life of the White Queen from her secret wedding to the York King if England, the birth of her ten children, the death of her father, brothers and also her mother and Edward himself. Following the death of her husband the story continues into the reign of Richard III and the mysterious disappearance of her two sons Edward and Richard – The Princes in the Tower.

    Gregory puts so much emotion into her words it is impossible not to feel for Elizabeth in the decisions she has to make, in the situation that marrying into the royal house of York has put her in. Spending some of Edward’s reign and also Richard’s in sanctuary at Westminster, Gregory writes a very strong, courageous character who would stop at nothing to save her family.

    All in all, The White Queen is a fantastic book with twists and turns at every corner. It is hard to believe that this story is, in part, a true story. This is the first novel I have read of Philippa Gregory’s and I am very glad I picked it up. I read this book before the 2013 TV series was broadcast but even if you have seen the TV series it makes a fantastic companion to the book, putting faces to the names which you read about. A recommended read for all!

You can buy this book at Waterstones here: The White Queen: Waterstones

And also at Amazon here: The White Queen: Amazon

 

Clockwork Angel

Clockwork Angel – The Infernal Devices Book 1

Cassandra Clare

 

Synopsis

    Magic is dangerous – but love is more dangerous still.

    When sixteen-year-old Tessa Grey crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

    Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, who are members of a secret organization called the Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s Powers for his own.

    Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by – and torn between – two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length… everyone, that is but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realises that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world… and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

    My advice is quite simple READ THIS BOOK! It is not your ordinary, boring boy-meets-girl book and is certainly not another vampire novel. The love that the synopsis speaks of is more than that of the protagonist, Tessa, and Will Herondale. It speaks of the love that holds these characters together.

    Tessa Grey is a very unlikely heroine with a unique gift and the novel is told from her point of view, seeing things, as she does, for the first time. The Dark Sisters, Tessa’s kidnappers, are as sinister as their name suggests and give you someone to really hate. They talk of a mysterious character called ’The Magister’, the main antagonist in the novel. The naming of this character is brilliant work on Cassandra Clare’s part are she has created a nameless, foreboding character like that of Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter or The Master in Doctor Who. ‘The Magister’ created intrigue in his interest in Tessa. Why does he want her? What dark deeds has he got planned for her? His is a good old-fashioned villain. This is one thing that holds your interest throughout the novel.

    Will Herondale, the first inhabitant of the Institute, and friendly face, that Tessa meets is a genius of a character. Light-hearted and witty but with a dark streak that he doesn’t reveal easily. It is not often that you find a character that will make you laugh, feel sorry for him and love him all at the same time. And then there is James Carstairs, or Jem, whom Tessa first meets in the middle of the night whilst he is playing his violin. He is Will’s parabatai, his fighting partner who is like his brother. He is a kind, brotherly figure, whom Tessa takes to immediately. He seems to have as many secrets as Will, with his mysterious illness which does not seem to get him down. He wears his heart on his sleeve and you cannot help but love him.

     Other residents of the institute include Jessamine. She is a bit of a pampered princess, ridiculously pretty and loathes being a Shadowhunter. She is a very easy character to dislike which is what she is there for. You need an opposite to Tessa, someone for people to react to. Then there is Charlotte Branwell, the leader of the institute, and her husband Henry. She is the mother-figure as she takes in Shadowhunters who have no home. You cannot help but love Charlotte. She doesn’t have a bad bone in her body and has nothing but love for the other residents of the institute. The first we see of Henry in the novel he is on fire, unbeknown to him! He is a brilliantly funny character who seems to care more for his work and inventions than his wife, but Charlotte loves him for it. And if anyone has anything to say against his wife or any of the other residents of the institute, he protects them fiercely.

    The plot is as well written as the character. You really do feel the characters fear for the danger they are in. You can feel Tessa’s terror at finally meeting ‘The Magister’. Jessamine’s disgust at the new girl that everyone seems to be taking such an interest in. There are very personal chapters like that of ‘Blackfriars Bridge’, between Jem and Tessa, where he takes her to his favourite place in London. It is nice to see some real places featured and not just fictional ones like that of the Institute. Clare describes London perfectly. The narrow streets, the steel-grey sky, and the dampness that houses hold after heavy rain. Also the stark quietness of the streets in the evening compared to the daytime. Places that were mentioned earlier in the novel are also mentioned in this chapter, which is very cleverly linked.

    The supernatural fiction world must be a very difficult one to write in, trying to tread where no-one has before. But Clockwork Angel is a wonder of a book, it is flawless writing and restores my faith in supernatural fiction. Cassandra Clare has completely re-invented the genre and I congratulate her for that. I had never heard of her before and had never read one of her books, but reading Clockwork Angel has put her firmly in my top 5 authors.

     I look forward to reading more of her work and I urge everyone to do the same.

 

You can buy the book at Waterstones here: Clockwork Angel: Waterstones

And also at Amazon here: Clockwork Angel: Amazon

 

 

Welcome, Welcome, One and All!

Welcome to my new blog! Now... I LOVE books, there is no denying it. And I also like seeing what other people think about the book I am reading at the time, so I thought I'd review the books that I have read.

I should say that this blog was inspired by this video by Carrie Hope Fletcher on her YouTube channel ItsWayPastMyBedTime (please go and check it out), so Thank You Carrie, you make me feel normal! Like her I have a book buying addiction. I have over 300 books (p.s. I haven't read all of them!) so I have a lot to go on, from fantasy to historical to sci-fi to romance (I haven't got many of these but I'll do what I can!) and some biographies and autobiographies so the reviews will be quite diverse.

So, I hope you enjoy reading my thoughts and the first review will be posted soon!