tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4189508013949425392024-03-13T03:55:42.348+00:00Meridian Reviewsmeridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.comBlogger109125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-25393507696721192722020-12-18T14:56:00.003+00:002020-12-18T14:56:56.943+00:00Books I DNF'd in 2020<p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Welcome to another 2020 book wrap-up. I'm still trying to make up for the very minimal blogging I've done this year, and have been inspired today to write this post. As the title suggests, this post is about the books I started and didn't finish this year and ten lucky books get that distinction. There should be more, but I don't like not finishing books. Sadly some books just broke me this year. So let's get started. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71pv-krZ4hL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="523" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71pv-krZ4hL.jpg" width="209" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">My first book I DNF'd was <b>The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. </b>This has been on my TBR for a long time and I thought this year would be the year I'd read it and get why everyone is always raving about it. Sadly I didn't get the same feeling of magic that others seemed to get. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I got about a quarter of the way though and just felt the narrative was too confused, the cast of characters too large. I didn't feel engaged with wanting to continue on, so I decided to cut my losses with the hope of maybe returning to it another time and maybe enjoying it then. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am willing to try some of Erin Morgenstern's other books but I'm now sceptical that maybe her writing style just isn't for me. 2021 will be the year we find out, I guess. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567921798l/50983788._SX0_SY0_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1567921798l/50983788._SX0_SY0_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">My second DNF was <b>Outlawed (Sherwood Outlaws #1) by Hayley Osborn. </b>This is the story of a girl named Maryanne whose family has the ability to travel through time but for very particular purposes, and she has to go change history. Her father accidentally changed the outcome of the Robin Hood myth and now Maryanne must go and correct his mistake. It sounds more fun than it was. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Maryanne's dad is particular is a dickhead, and the whole set up of why she has to go doesn't make that much sense in the book itself. Just a lot of guilt and blackmailing goes into it. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Once we get to 12th century Nottingham the story sadly doesn't pick up in enjoyment. The insta-love connection Maryanne and 'Robb' feel is annoying, and there are missed opportunities for some drama and good-old fashioned chaos that you'd expect/want from a time travel book. I gave up about halfway through when I realised I was halfway through and nothing had happened yet. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781250080028.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://images.macmillan.com/folio-assets/macmillan_us_frontbookcovers_1000H/9781250080028.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Book 3 was <b>The Heart of Betrayal (The Remnant Chronicles #2) by Mary E Pearson. </b>Other book series I picked up based this year after being told such good things by people I trusted. The first book in the series I had read and thought it was fine. Didn't really do it for me, but I was assured the series only got better. So I moved onto the second book and was sadly mostly just bored from the start. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I could see the set up for more political intrigue and while I do enjoy that, I couldn't push myself to get past the ridiculous love triangle that hadn't worked in book 1 and was still being pushed in book 2. I've spent most of 2020 realising I am growing out of nonsense love triangles in books and I decided to call it quits.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">However, like with the Night Circus, I do think I will give this book another go sometime in the future, maybe. Or maybe I'll just read Pearson's other series <i>Dance of Thieves </i>set in the same world as there is real potential there. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505836080l/31625039._SY475_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1505836080l/31625039._SY475_.jpg" width="214" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Book 4 was <b>Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann. </b>Firstly, let's talk about how beautiful this cover is. Simple, elegant. I was hyped for this book. It follows Alice as she is coming to terms with trying to find out how romance will work for her as she is asexual, wanting to find a way to be happy but be herself. Promising story, but Alice is so annoying. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Her POV was came across as smug and irritating, and I couldn't bring myself to enjoy the writing style. I was sad about it but sometimes there are just styles you don't gel with. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I do think asexualialty deserves more books written about it, and it would have been a big help to me when I was growing up, but just cause you approve of the subject matter doesn't automatically mean it's a good book. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507458393i/35297349._UY2224_SS2224_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1507458393i/35297349._UY2224_SS2224_.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Book 5 had the same problem as book 4: smug, terrible unlikable characters. <b>This Love Story will Self-Destruct </b>follows Eve and Ben, two twenty somethings who meet at a party, hit it off and then go home with other people. A premise about two soulmates kept apart by circumstances and silly mistakes, this sounded like it could be good. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Instead I got an array of shitty characters who each though they were better than everyone else around them. Eve in particular defined herself better than her flatmates for being less-slutty and better-educated. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I decided to give up before things really got going, because I wasn't rooting for any of these characters to be happy. None of them deserved my time. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514by7v0JGL._SX345_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="347" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/514by7v0JGL._SX345_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="223" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst </b>was another disappointment. Unlikable characters but not as frustating as the above books - the main characters in this book were just dull. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The story of Denna and Mare could have been compelling - two countries brought together by a marriage alliance, only for the bride and the groom's sister to fall in love - could have been good. Sadly all I could think whilst reading it was I was just too old for it. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">There are chapters upon chapters about horses, and liking horses, and descriptions about how each of them are 'different than other girls' and it felt like it was written for a 12 year old girl who enjoyed horseriding. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">It has taught me perhaps I should stop reading so much YA, as a lot of what I have read this year and finished, I still didn't enjoy that much. So next year I will be trying some new genres. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71k+7Z24UKL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71k+7Z24UKL.jpg" width="209" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston </b>was my most disappointing book of the year by far and it was the most frustrating by far. <br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We follow Alex, the First Son, and Prince Henry of England as they try to starve off a PR disaster by faking a friendship. Again, a premise I was all here for. Enemies-to-lovers is a fanfiction trope I am always here for. But the chemistry between the characters just didn't feel right, everything that happened just felt too forced and awkward. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Plus the world of this book was just stupid. If you're going to write a book about a real country, do some research about it. Why have the setting of two prominent figures in the media eye if the worlds they come from and the expectations of who they are meant to be don't actually matter. Any kind of LGBT representation just feels meaningless that way. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blackwells.co.uk/jacket/l/9780062320537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="622" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://blackwells.co.uk/jacket/l/9780062320537.jpg" width="206" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b>Magonia by Maria Dahvana Headley </b>is a book I've had on my shelf having bought it on a whim on my second date with my boyfriend. It sat there as a reminder of days where shops were open and it was safe to be outside. I should have just left it there. Sadly, I decided to try to read it this year. <br /></span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Magonia follows Aza Ray, a girl who is dying from some syndrome no one has ever been able to cure. One day she sees a ship floating in the sky, discovering the world of Magonia in the process. What I couldn't get behind was the required transition to get to the world and politics of Magonia. Basically it begins to transpire Magonia is Aza's home world and she fell to Earth one day and the reason she was dying was because it was never her world. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Aza herself is very unlikable, her best friend/love interest is unhinged and the whole story is just a farce. Her illness makes no sense, and as a medical professional poor explanation of medical things really piss me off. This book has it in spades. Then, after trying to establish what it's like to have a chronic illness, it's just magically healed. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The idea of Magonia as a world could have been intersting, as there seemed to be a high dose of creativity in trying to bring that world to life on the pages, but it took more than a third of the book to even get to Aza being introduced to that world. Things just too far too long to get going and the book couldn't be saved. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://agathachristie.imgix.net/hcuk-paperback/At-Betrams-Hotel-v2.JPG?auto=compress,format&fit=clip&q=65&w=400" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://agathachristie.imgix.net/hcuk-paperback/At-Betrams-Hotel-v2.JPG?auto=compress,format&fit=clip&q=65&w=400" width="199" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Books nine and ten are <b>At Bertam's Hotel (Miss Marple #11) </b>and <b>The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence #1)</b><a href="https://agathachristie.imgix.net/hcuk-paperback/The-Secret-Adversary.JPG?auto=compress,format&fit=clip&q=65&w=400" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="400" height="320" src="https://agathachristie.imgix.net/hcuk-paperback/The-Secret-Adversary.JPG?auto=compress,format&fit=clip&q=65&w=400" width="198" /></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b>by Agatha Christie. 2020 was the year I was trying to get in to murder mysteries and crime novels, and who better to start with than Agatha Christie, right? I typically love a Poiret when it's on TV, but I really couldn't get into Christie's writing style or the plots of these books. Both I had chosen because they sounded like the kind of story I'd enjoy but they were just so bland. I lost interest both times, eventually just shelving them as I wasn't going to ever bother finishing them. </span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">And that's my list for 2020. I'm hoping to have less on this list next year, but I also want to try more new books next year so that will probably mean this list will actually be longer. Can't wait to find out. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-77475101101843204302020-12-15T18:22:00.005+00:002020-12-15T18:22:45.640+00:00The Best and Worst Books of Each Month 2020<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Merry Christmas, everyone. Well it's been a shitty year for most of us I think, but I've been fortunate that my family and I have stayed healthy during this pandemic and I was actually able to read a lot of books this year. Not as many as I wanted - I set the really unobtainable goal of 100 books - but I have read 77 books instead so I feel I did very well this year. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I am going to be spending some time in the next few weeks trying to do some wrap-up blog posts to sift through my favourite and most-hated books this year, to make up for the fact I actually haven't been posting anything at all on my blog for months. I'd say next year will be different, but it won't be. I'm just very inconsistent and changable, and that's why I am not a full-time blogger. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This blog post was inspired by Hailey in Bookland's Bookmas playlist. Do go check her out on YouTube cause she's really nice (link here: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cim8jfaM4E8" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0b5394;">Hailey in Bookland - Best and Worst</span></a>). So without further ado, here goes. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>January </b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71k3n0EZeHL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="520" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71k3n0EZeHL.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">My top read of January was <b>The Wicked King (Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black. </b>While I put off reading this series for a number of years cause I just felt it was over-hyped, when the final book in the series came out I decided to just go for it. I'm so glad I did. While I had some issues with the series, especially in book 1, I really enjoyed the world-building and the characters. By book 2 I was sold on the series, fully following the stakes. Jude is such a complex main character, an anti-heroine in many ways with the chaos she brings. I liked how flawed she was, how prickly. I'm so used to heroines either being the moral compass or a badass who never makes mistakes. I felt book 3 disappointed me a little, after book 2 really set things up well for lots of drama. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518809782l/37859715.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; font-family: georgia; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="303" height="320" src="https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1518809782l/37859715.jpg" width="205" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst read of January was <b>Damsel by Elana K. Arnold. </b>It was, without doubt, the worst book I've read this year or ever, and cause it was the start of the year I hadn't accepted to just abandon books I didn't like yet. This book was just so creepy and uncomfortable, and had so many triggers for sexual abuse. This type of book is why fantasy fiction has such a bad name for glorifying sexual violence against women. Reading up on reviews some people said it was really empowering by the end, but it wasn't. I have no idea how anyone could walk away from this book and not feel genuinely violated. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>February</b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://almabooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Tenant-of-Wildfell-Hall.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="517" height="320" src="https://almabooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/The-Tenant-of-Wildfell-Hall.jpg" width="207" /></a></div>My top book of February was <b>The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte.</b> I read it after watching 'The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society' movie where they discuss this book, and having been on the eye for classics to read this year it just felt right. Enjoying this book as much as I did was a genuine surprise for me. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The story felt so fresh, like it could be happening nowadays: people in a small town gossiping about the new widow who doesn't want to make small talk or bow to anyone's control or opinion about what 'a woman must do'. Gilbert grows from prejudice towards his obnoxious neighbour to realising he should make up his own mind about people, that things are never as clear as they first appear. Helen is a fascinating character as well, growing up for her idea of marrying a handsome flirtatious young man to discovering surface level beauty can hide a horrible person underneath, and vice versa. My only problems with the book was her part of the book, where we flash back to her life with her husband, went on for much too long. The religious overtones didn't feel as preachy to me as some of Anne Bronte's other books come across, which helped. As I sat and read it, I imagined making a modern-day adaptation of this and it would still work so well. Society really hasn't changed that much. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/616WjZC4-GL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/616WjZC4-GL.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book of February was <b>We were Liars by E Lockhart. </b>Another hyped author I have been avoiding for years, I decided to give this a go to try a different genre of YA - a mystery thriller. I was very disappointed. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Cady, our main character, was just terrible as a protagonist. Entitled and whiny, her journey through the book felt very off. The rest of the characters felt one-dimensional and caricaturish, with the story never engaging me. Plus, as someone in the medical profession, Cady's condition and her array of symptoms were inconsistent and nonsensical, frequently pulling me out of the stroy to go "no, that's not how that works."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>March</b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51smlJ9r+fL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="331" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51smlJ9r+fL.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>March was the month of Hades/Persephone mythology retellings and therefore both my top and my bottom are along these lines. My best book of March is <b>A Touch of Darkness #1 by Scarlett St Clair. </b>Considering I got this book for free on the Kindle shop I had little hope of it actually being great, but it was. The world created for this series, the modern-day alternate world mixed with the mythology and pantheon of Gods, was creative and flowed so well together. I was immediately hooked on the writing, the voice of Persephone and the chemistry between Persephone and Hades was just so right. Drama abound, this series has so much potential and I'm excited to continue with it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566374502l/52242282._SX0_SY0_.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="334" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1566374502l/52242282._SX0_SY0_.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book of March was <b>Persephone's Awakening: The Maiden by Delcesca Newby. </b>I gave it a 2 out of 5, so it is not as low as some worst books on the list. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I will concede this is part 2 in a duology, which I didn't realise at the time, but having read the 1st part of it now too it still doesn't make the plot that much more interesting or the writing better. The concept of Persephone being reborn was good, but the execution was just so surface-level and compared with A Touch of Darkness, the level of lore really wasn't up to par. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><br /><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>April </b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81deT4qaX7L.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81deT4qaX7L.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>Seanan McGuire was another author whose work I'd been putting off, and as of April I was tied for good vs bad. I am so glad I decided to give her Wayward Children novella series a chance. <b>Down Among the Stick and Bones (Wayward Children #2) by Seanan McGuire </b>is therefore my top book of April. Firstly, the idea of following the lives of children who return from magical worlds once they've grown up or accidentally found themselves back in their birth words is so clever and interesting. Each story follows a different character, or the same characters at a different time in their life, and the world is just so intricately created. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">This novella follows the characters of Jacquiline 'Jack' and Jillian 'Jill' before we meet them in book 1, when they find themselves on the Moors and have to decide the kind of people they are going to be. Jack was my favourite character from book 1 and I'm so glad she gets more time to develop. Honestly, it's just so good. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474024246l/32058729._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="297" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1474024246l/32058729._SY475_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book of April is <b>Lost Girl #1 by Chanda Hahn. </b>Peter Pan retellings are always something I get drawn to but they're usually always awful. This, while not being completely awful like 'Jody Lynn Anderson's Tiger Lily', was just very boring. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Too much time was spent setting up Wendy's previous life at the Neverland facility before moving into the actual story. The insta-love between Wendy and Peter was awkward, the developments of the plot seemed jarring and dumb, and overall the potential for the story seemed to be squandered. I just felt too much time was wasted, and the two timelines could have been meshed better. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>May </b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91Nja7HRGxL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91Nja7HRGxL.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>May was the month I discovered I am a sucker for historial regency romance books. <b>When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare </b>was just a thrill ride of nonsense and I was here for it. The book follows Maddie who, to get out of people feeling sorry for her she never had a date, made up a sweetheart who she wrote letters to. Several years ago she killed him off, stating her heart was broken forever and she would never marry, moving to the Highlands for a peaceful life. Then comes along the man who received her letters, the man who shares the name of her imaginary lost lover, coming to claim his bride. Hijinks ensure, stubborn characters clash, and it was just a lot of fun. <b style="color: #800180; text-decoration-line: underline;"><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548150552l/43679237._SY475_.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="316" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1548150552l/43679237._SY475_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>My worst book of May was <b>Waterfall (Rivers of Time #1) by Lisa T Bergren. </b>The plot is basically Gabi and her sister Lia accidentally time travel to fourteenth century Italy and have to grapple with the politics of the situation and fall in love along the way. While in essence the plot could be decent, albeit ridiculous, it is not executed well. Gabi is very unlikable as a protagonist, constantly under the impression she is better than everyone around her, and her romance with Marcelo starts off vapidly and continues along the same vein, with no chemistry between the two. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The main problem with the story was the pacing and the lack of dramatic tension. Opportunites to make things more interesting, develop characters into more rounded characters, were repeatedly missed in order to spend time watching Gabi fuss over how hot she thinks Marcelo is but alas, he is engaged.</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>June</b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457268468l/27067876.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1457268468l/27067876.jpg" width="199" /></a></div>June is a bit of a 'meh' month in that I had no 5 star books or less than a 3 star book. Of the books I read my best book was <b>Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare. </b>Following a similar non-sensical plot as her previous books, Charlotte finds herself engaged after being caught in a compromising situation with the grumpy Lord Piers Brandon. She must find out who really was overheard in a clandestine embrace, so she can free herself from the obligation to marry Piers. But she must move quickly, before she falls for him. As I said, it's stupid but it was good. Not as good as some of her others, but I had fun reading it. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71we0+k+prL.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="526" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71we0+k+prL.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book was </span><b style="font-family: georgia;">Death at Wentwater Court by Carola Dunn </b><span style="font-family: georgia;">which did get a 3 so was just sadly the worst rate book that month whereas it wasn't that bad. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Daisy Darymple was an interesting female sleuth a la Phyrne Fisher but the overall pacing and murder reveal was all just a little bit disappointing. I might continue with the series, see if the writer finds its stride, but this first book was just a bit dull and predictable. <br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><br /></b></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>July</b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91ZLl0mgHfL.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="521" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91ZLl0mgHfL.jpg" width="208" /></a></div>My best book of July was A<b>yoade on Top by Richard Ayoade. </b>It is a self-reflection/critical analysis of the Gwyneth Paltrow film 'A View from the Top'. While it is one of the worst, boring rom-coms of the the early 2000s, Ayoade brings a levity and critical appreciation for the kind of nonsense that passes for a film. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71QKQ9mwV7L.jpg" style="clear: right; display: inline; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71QKQ9mwV7L.jpg" width="214" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">From start to finish I was laughing, fascinated with how his mind worked, how he drew such artistic parellels. The whole book is one big inside joke and I appreciate the commitment taken to pull it off. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book was <b>The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson. </b>I didn't have any epiphanies whilst reading it, nor did I walk away thinking any differently about the world at a time where less stress would have been appreciated. It was just boring and uninteresting overall. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>August</b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #800180; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51YSMZIGtoL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51YSMZIGtoL.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>My favourite August read was the fake autobiographical travel book <b>Alan Partridge: Nomad by Alan Partridge. </b>The stroy follows Alan, once again being his self-involved smug self on his travels to follow in the footsteps of his father's journey to a power plant somewhere in England. Short, stupid and a great deal of fun. If only 'This Time with Alan Partridge' had been this funny. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pGiKqMFcL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="529" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/81pGiKqMFcL.jpg" width="212" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book of August would be <b>The Past and Other Things that Should Stay Buried by Shaun David Hutchinson. </b>While I was initially here for the premise of the book being set in a funeral home, and the main character's best friend coming back to life, with LGBT elements, the plot struggled to get interesting. Both our main characters, Dino and July, weren't as interesting as the characters around them - Dino's boyfriend Rafi being a particular interesting character that really didn't get the exploration he deserved. There was just a lot of dead air in conversation, I felt, and I was glad to have it over with. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>September</b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564414055l/52544427._SX0_SY0_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564414055l/52544427._SX0_SY0_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>My September best book is only a 3 star, but it was my highest rated book of the month and that is <b>Wife After Wife by Olivia Hayfield. </b>This book follows a contemporary Henry Rose and his six failed marriages, clearly a modern day Henry VIII. There was a lot of potential in this book, and therefore a lot of missed opportunies, but I did enjoy myself reading it. There is going to be a sequel, a retelling of the power struggle between Maria (Mary I) and Eliza (Elizabeth I) as they each wrestle for control of the Rose Corporation. There was a lot of love put into this book, which I appreciated. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564416796l/51037654._SX0_SY0_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="298" height="320" src="https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564416796l/51037654._SX0_SY0_.jpg" width="212" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book was <b>Girls Save the World in This One by Ash Parsons. </b>This was a very painful read and it's really pushed me to reconsider reading any YA fiction in the future because every single character in this was annoying. No one more so than June, our whiny main character who is acting like the world is ending because some stupid boy doesn't want to be with her anymore and she's going off to college. She was the most self-involved character of any book I read this year, and I don't know how her friends put up with her. The plot could have worked if I cared if any of them made it out of the zombie infected convention centre they are stuck in. But also the romance that is shoe-horned in that was just stupid, predictable and lacked any chemistry. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b>October</b></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81m9sRGLLXL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="528" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81m9sRGLLXL.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>Fifty Fifty by Steve Cavanagh </b>is my October best book. I picked it up as a recommendation of a friend, after I said I'd wanted to try some new genres this year and my history with thrillers had been disapponting thus far. Fifty Fifty follows the trial of two sisters, each accusing the others of brutally murdering their father and trying to frame them. A interesting premise, a fairly interesting and fleshed out array of characters, I did enjoy reading this and may continue the series. I just don't think thrillers are really my thing, but that's fine. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91R36LP+8UL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="502" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/91R36LP+8UL.jpg" width="201" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst October book is <b>Time Lord Victorious: The Knight, The Fool and The Dead by Steve Cole. </b>My boyfriend is obsessed with Doctor Who and is trying to get me into the Time Lord Victorious storyline, which I am really just not into and this book proves why. The whole idea is just super convulated and this book in particular was very hard to read. As time has gone on I've come to realise my favourite doctor is not the Tenth doctor like I thought in my youth and he really is just a liability. (By the way my favourite doctors, depending on the story are: Fifth, Sixth and Ninth). </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><u><b><br /></b></u></span></div><h4 style="text-align: justify;"><u style="color: #800180; font-family: georgia;"><b>November </b></u></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mfzqo6PTL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mfzqo6PTL._SX327_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>My November best book is <b>Game of Queens by Sarah Gristwood, </b>a non-fiction book looking at the powerful political players and Queens in sixteenth century Europe. A bit niche, sure, but I love the history and in particular women of history. I got this book based on a recommendation that said it explains the world Anne Boleyn was born into, the world she experienced growing up in France and explains how she misjudged the political battlefiend in England. I love anything Anne Boleyn-related and this delivered an interesting story in spades, introducing me to women I'd never encountered before who I'm now fascinated by. </span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jJ-e+XRNL._SX316_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="318" height="320" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jJ-e+XRNL._SX316_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="204" /></a></span><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">My worst book was <b>Here is the Beehive by Sarah Crossan. </b>A book about an affair, following the story of the mistress coming to terms with the sudden loss of her lover, told through verse could have been interesting. However the story didn't seem to delve deep enough into such a fractious situation, as our lead Ana begins a friendship with Rebecca, her lover's unknowing wife, in the wake of his death. Sadly everything seems surface level, details about Ana's life just being randomly scattered in, clunking up the flow of the story. It had a beautiful cover though. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></div><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><u><span style="color: #800180;">December</span></u></span></h4><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">So far I have little to add for December but when I do, I'll be adding my best and worst. So just hold on. </span></div>meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-32299155784214729252020-07-20T03:33:00.000+01:002020-07-20T03:34:42.742+01:00Books I Read in June <div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So June was a really slow month for my reading, and I think that's cause after this shitty year I'm just becoming so tired of it all. Trying to blog about the books I have read will hopefully kick start my reading again. </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Each month I am trying to read an average of 8 books, with my goal for the year being 100 books. I am on track at present to do so, but that's only because I was reading so much at the beginning of the year. So let's begin with June. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In June the four books I read were: </span></div>
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<a href="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41I8KOptaaL.SX316.SY316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41I8KOptaaL.SX316.SY316.jpg" width="177" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">
<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Crocodile on the Sandbank (Amelia Peabody #1) by Elizabeth Peters</span></b></span></h4>
<h4 style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rating:</span> </span></span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">☆</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">☆</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Follows intellectual, feminist Amelia Peabody on her adventures through Egypt in 1884, where she stumbles into a mystery involving a mummy that hints of a curse. I sometimes got Phyrne Fisher vibes from Amelia, which was what I wanted, but overall the book could have been stronger. The other characters were meh, but I did enjoy Emerson. A series I may continue at another time if I can find it on my library's app. </span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Death at Wentwater Court (Daisy Dalrymple #1) by Carola Dunn</span></b></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Rating:</span> </span></span><span style="color: #3d85c6; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">★</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">☆</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; text-align: center;">☆</span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Daisy is dispatched to Wentwater Court to do an article on the old house and the family, and whilst there becomes involved in a who-dunnit murder mystery. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another book I picked up because I wanted something vaguely 'Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries'-esque without re-watching the series again. This was good enough, I guess. Had a fun enough time reading it, but the plot was a little paint by numbers. Daisy did seem cute though so I might continue with the series, to see how she grows.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare</span></b></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-weight: normal;">Rating: </span>★</span><span style="text-align: center;">★</span><span style="text-align: center;">★</span><span style="text-align: center;">★</span><span style="text-align: center;">☆</span></span></span></h4>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Set during the English regency period, Charlotte is at a ball when a scandal is brought about that results in an unwanted engagement to a man she doesn't know. She spends the rest of the book trying to right the assumption of what happened and free herself of this unwanted match.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Right, so I recently got into trashy historial romance in the month of April and Tessa Dare has since become my prime author for the kind of stuff I want from this. This book is no exception. The premise is ridiculous, the characters make stupid decisions for storytelling purposes but you know what, it's great. I really enjoyed Charlotte and her chemistry with Piers. Had a great time reading this, but it wasn't enough to get a five star from me.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne</span></b></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Phileas Fogg takes a bet that he can travel the world in 80 days and bets half his fortune on the matter. This is his journey with his trusty servant Passepartout and other characters they collect along the way. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This year I'm trying to read more classics (I know the last book suggests otherwise) but I'm doing well with that. Jules Verne is one of those authors my dad really enjoys, which has always made me not want to read him. This book was actually quite fun with enough ridiculousness to make the premise work. I learnt things about cultures and the history of some phrasing. Overall I enjoyed it, but it did make me want to watch the completely-inaccurate Steve Coogan and Jackie Chan movie version. I can see why my dad hated that, but it is a lot of fun. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-72866861938182026062020-01-07T23:38:00.001+00:002020-01-07T23:38:17.687+00:00Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas by Adam Kay<br />
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/819R1K6j6wL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="495" height="640" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/819R1K6j6wL.jpg" width="395" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Usually, I try to avoid medical books like this. Being a nurse myself, books that talk about the things that go on in hospitals doesn't really offer the escapism I want from a book. For the last few years, everyone I know seems to have read Kay's last book <i>This is Going to Hurt: Secret Diaries from a Junior Doctor, </i>and have been going on and on at me to read it. This Christmas, I chose to start with this book as it was apparently rather festive and really captured the crap that goes down around this time of year. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I read it, I did find myself getting into the anecdotal style and enjoying his stories. Some of them were just mad, but people are weird so I can completely believe they all happened. The fun and the sad, the ups and the downs of these shifts are briefly represented and I think for people who do not work in hospitals, who haven't worked a Christmas day in A&E or an intensive care ward, this would offer insight into the workings of what healthcare professionals do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Twas the Nightshift before Christmas </i>was good and fun, but it just wasn't as excellent as I'd been led to believe. Perhaps what I wanted and expected from this book, a less anecdotal style and more in-depth awareness of the situation, would be offered in his first book. I think I'll give that a read sometime. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span></div>
meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-8510451698649840352020-01-05T16:30:00.000+00:002020-01-05T16:08:17.796+00:00The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid <div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41uxY7cm5hL._SX313_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="315" height="400" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41uxY7cm5hL._SX313_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg" width="252" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo </i>follows the premise of Monique, a journalist, being invited to interview an infamous actress from the 50s and 60s, who has always caused scandal and gossip, but has remained very private regarding her life. When they meet, Evelyn wishes Monique to write her biography. Unable to say not to an offer that would make her career as a writer, their journey together begins. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It was a very easy book to read, as I read it in a couple of hours. The story flowed well and kept me going. I was recommended it by several people, and from watching YouTubers it was a favourite of theirs. Seeing the kindle version for 99p, I decided to take a leap of faith and see how it went. The idea of following Evelyn's life through her marriages, seeing how she developed into the woman Monique knew her to be in the modern day, was a very interesting idea for me and I was excited to see how it played out. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I would give this book a 3 out of 5 stars because I enjoyed it, but it should have been more. Some of the characters felt 2-dimentional, the promised insight into Evelyn's marriages weren't always there and some of the story should have been more complex. The romance and feelings of loss and regret were important, but ultimately lacking for me. Something just felt missing, another layer perhaps. I had the same problem with Jenkin Reid's book that I read last year <i>Daisy Jones & The Six; </i>I was able to read that in one sitting, I had enjoyed that, but it left me with a feeling it should have been more, gone further, offered characters who were a bit more raw, a story that didn't tie up so neatly at the end. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span></div>
meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-16512837301411900302020-01-05T16:07:00.001+00:002020-01-05T16:07:23.675+00:00Stealer of Dreams (Doctor Who New Adventures #6) by Steve Lyons<br />
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<a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/20/Stealers_of_Dreams.jpg/220px-Stealers_of_Dreams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="220" height="400" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/2/20/Stealers_of_Dreams.jpg/220px-Stealers_of_Dreams.jpg" width="246" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">You may ask why I bothered reading a Doctor Who book as my first book of the year, and my answer is simply I have access to a large number of them, they're short and I wanted to start my year on a high by reading a book on the 1st of January. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This one jumped out at me, as the plot sounded really very interesting. A world where fiction is banned, where imagination and dreaming could get you sent to an asylum. This is where the Doctor, Rose and Captain Jack find themselves, and quickly have to learn to navigate. A pirate TV station encourages the public to dream, to fight off the shackles of oppression. The Doctor is pleased to help this cause, until he discovers how dangerous those dreams are becoming. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoyed this, a lot actually. It was an idea that would have been very interesting to see on Eccleston's tenure as the Doctor, as I always wished for more stories with that Tardis team. Eccleston remains one of my favourite Doctors, and the writing in this book reflects his personality quite well. This might even get me into reading the back catalogue of Doctor Who books, who knows? </span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span></div>
meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-83959108042538146152020-01-05T15:36:00.000+00:002020-04-02T05:29:09.040+01:002020 Reading Challenge<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Another year, another reading challenge to fail. Last year I was very disappointed with my amount (9 of my 30), and the year before I didn't reach my target either, so this year the target is going to be set much lower and I <i>have </i>to reach it. Reading is something I love, and I need to prioritise reading time this year as last year I focused a lot of work and post-grad study. 2020 is going to be the Year of the Book, hopefully anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My aim this year is to read 12 books. If I read more, excellent. I am going to try and read different types of books this year, but am not going to constrict myself to the challenges of last year's list. I am simply going to push myself to try new things, and add them to this list once I've read them. </span></div>
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<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">A book you can finish in a day -</span> </b><i>The Stealer of Dreams (Doctor Who New Adventures #6)</i> by Steve Lyons (read 1st January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">A book recommended by someone else -</span></b> <i>The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid (read 5th January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>A non-fiction book -</b></span> <i>Twas the Nightshift Before Christmas </i>by Adam Kay (read 7th January) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">A poetry book -</span></b> <i>Fierce Fairytales & Stories to Stir the Soul </i>by Nikita Gill (read 13th January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">A book you have tried to read before but failed -</span></b> <i>Ruined (Ruined #1)</i> by Amy Tintera (read 15th January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>A book set in school</b></span> - <i>A Very Large Expanse of Sea</i> by Tahereh Mafi (read 19th Janury)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">A fantasy book</span></b> - <i>The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) </i>by Holly Black (read 21st January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>A book you couldn't wait to read</b></span> - <i>The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) </i>by Holly Black (read 23rd January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: purple;">A book from a serie</span>s</b> - <i>The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3)</i> by Holly Black (read 24th January)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>A graphic novel</b></span> - <i>The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse</i> by Charlie Mackesy (read 22nd February)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>A Wordsworth classic</b></span> - <i>The Tenant of Wildfell Hall </i>by Anne Bronte (read 5-24th February)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: purple;"><b>A mystery book</b></span> - <i>We Were Liars </i>by E. Lockhart</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book you've owned for years</span></b> - <i>The Looking Glass House</i> by Vanessa Tait</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A mythology retelling</span></b> - <i>A Touch of Darkness</i> by Scarlett St. Clair</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book you got for free</span></b> - <i>Persephone's Awakening: The Maiden </i>by Delcesca Newby</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A graphic novel</span></b> - <i>Lore Olympus</i> by Rachel Smythe</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue</i> by Mackenzi Lee </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><i>Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) </i>by Seanan McGuire</span></li>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-70310523918189463972019-05-01T16:33:00.001+01:002019-05-01T16:38:27.810+01:00Adventures with the Wife in Space by Neil Perryman<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>Neil loves Sue. He also loves Doctor Who. But can he bring two great loves together? And does he have the right? </b>(from the book)</i></span></h4>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So this book was an unexpected gem, bought for me as one of several little-but-thoughtful birthday presents by my wonderful boyfriend. We ended up reading this book together, taking turns to read it to the other person. Whenever he buys me a book, I do typically read the first few pages aloud with him, so we both get a real feel for what he has actually bought. Somehow, for this book, we just kept going and it was actually really nice. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The book is based on a blog, also written by Perryman, which follows him and his wife Sue reviewing every episode of classic Doctor Who in chronological order. While this seems like a mad idea, that is sort of what my boyfriend is trying to do this year, and therefore I have been watching a lot of Doctor Who myself. It felt like the right book for us - it felt like it was written for us, really. We were both hoping for more of a focus on the reviews but that's what the actual blog was about. This book was a bit of a mash up of opinions on the episodes and Perryman's own obsession with Doctor Who, where it all started, how it continued, the love story between Perryman and his wife. It was a sweet, and very funny, book that my boyfriend and I enjoyed reading together. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there on the internet and occasionally criticise things people who are very obsessive love. For that, I applaud Sue and Neil for doing this, and while I don't always agree with some of their opinions, I enjoyed and respected them. They came from a place of love, and a place of understanding. Sue dubbed Peter Davison (the Fifth Doctor) as the fit one, so we could happily agree on that. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The only thing I had an issue with was realising the blogs could not be bought in a lovely printed collection, as it would have been lovely to have them accompany this book on the shelf. But I guess the kindle books will have to do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Considering I have somehow allowed my spare bedroom to become a Doctor Who shrine, I can relate to both the fondness and exasperation they both displayed in this book. I would wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone, as it was very funny and an insight into something I feel most people understand, but I've now seen every episode Patrick Troughton (the Second Doctor) ever made that still exists (whether in episode format or reconstructions) so I am no longer the best person to judge what a casual fan of Doctor Who knows anymore. Perhaps I should put my new-found knowledge of Doctor Who and channel it into a blog of my own...maybe. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-73850845707088504982019-04-10T18:14:00.000+01:002019-04-10T18:14:38.993+01:00Equal Rites (Discworld #3, Witches #1) by Terry Pratchett<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>On Discworld, a dying wizard tries to pass on his powers to an eighth son of an eighth son, who is just at that moment being born. The fact that the son is actually a daughter is discovered just a little too late. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>The town witch insists on turning the baby into a perfectly normal witch, thus mending the magical damage of the wizard's mistake. But now the young girl will be forced to penetrate the inner sanctum of the Unseen University - and attempt to save the world with one well-placed kick in some enchanted shins </b>(from Goodreads). </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Having read <i>Mort </i>and wanting to read more Terry Pratchett, I picked this one up on recommendation from my boyfriend. Apparently going straight for <i>Good Omens </i>was not the way to go about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I mean, I liked the idea of a female wizard and that turning the Discworld on its head. But it wasn't as large-scale as I expected. A lot of the book is the journey to the Unseen University in the first place, and while Granny Weatherwax is amusing and possibly my life goal, she can't carry that journey with a few quips or her sarcasm. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Once we got to the Unseen University, the action suddenly seemed to take off and then end as quickly as it started. So while I did like the story, for me the pacing was off. Overall though, it was a very funny book as I had expected. I'm not going to stop reading Discworld books, so perhaps this is just how he writes and I need to get more on board with that. Everything is always a bit quirky, a bit weird, a bit unexpected after all. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-43675690467454750302019-04-10T18:07:00.000+01:002019-04-10T18:07:40.767+01:00Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid<br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>For a while, Daisy Jones & the Six were everywhere. Their albums were on every turntable, they sold out arenas from coast to coast, their sound defined an era. And then, on 12th July 1979, they split. Nobody ever knew why. Until now. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>They were lovers and friends and brothers and rivals. They couldn't believe their luck, until it ran out. This is their story of the early days and the wild nights, but everyone remembers the truth differently (from book cover). </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>**spoilers ahead**</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This book has been coming up on my Amazon recommendations for months now and it seems like I've seen and heard about it everywhere. I finally relented the other day, having been on the bus home and listening to a twenty-minute conversation where a woman tried to convince her friend to read this. She didn't convince her friend, but she convinced me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I was up for reading a book about a band on their rise and fall, and the author has spoken about how the book expresses a positive and important voice for women in music, so I was expecting something rather groundbreaking. In that sense, I was disappointed; it had positive messages about being yourself, but of the four women in the story only Daisy really had any layers for me. We have Karen, the drummer who has struggled to be taken seriously, Camila, the wife and mother and Simone, Daisy's musician friend. Of them all, I found Camila the most frustrating - she is described as a force of nature by one of the band members, but she just didn't seem real to me. No one real could just sit there and goes along with the crap she goes through with Billy the way she does. You can choose to stay, but you can get angry first. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Something I hadn't realised about the book was it was told through interview quotes from the fictitious band, all commenting on the timeline. Sometimes it worked - such as when the band were weighing in on the name of the band and each of them had a different recollection of the same conversation, and that was funny - and sometimes it didn't. Sometimes it was just really difficult to connect with the story, as important memories outside of Daisy and Billy were just breezed over. I get it was about the band, but you still need to understand your characters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From reading around this book, it seems we may see a TV adaption of this story and I am up for that. The problem I had with this book was there wasn't enough time to really get to know the characters but in a show visually you can connect with them, say "oh yeah, they're in this conversation". I did enjoy this story, even if I think the ending was crap and frustrating (think the ending of <i>How I Met Your Mother</i><i>), </i>and I think there is a lot of opportunity for expanding and adding layers and depth. So I would probably watch this. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall, it was a pretty good read and I was able to finish it in a day, a feat I have not managed for a long time so I am thankful to this book for giving me that nice feeling. I will be keeping an eye on this author's books, and am already considering her last book, <i>The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, </i>which is written in the same style as far as I can gather. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-62113546032941841012019-01-01T12:00:00.000+00:002019-12-12T18:32:45.247+00:002019 Ultimate Reading Challenge<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Happy new year, everyone. My 2018 reading challenge didn't go as well as I'd hoped, and I only managed to read 15 of the 49. You can be disappointed with me, I am disappointed with myself. Some of the categories were really difficult though - I don't read scary books for example, and there aren't a lot of books with characters named Rachel. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This year, I plan to set myself a more reasonable list of books to read - not as many, and have a bit more of a list focused on genres I currently read, or genres I would like to try. So no horror, no true crime, nothing set in my hometown (they're all just about the Troubles, coming from Belfast). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So my 2019 list is as follows: </span></div>
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<ol>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book you read as a child</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>A book published in 2019</b></span> - <i>The Priory of the Orange Tree </i>by Samantha Shannon </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book published in 2018</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book published over 100 years ago </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book set somewhere you'll visit this year</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A play </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A bestseller</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book of short stories</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A funny book</span> </b>- <i>Equal Rites (Discword #3, Witches #1) </i>by Terry Pratchett</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book with an appealing cover</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book set in the place you live today </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book you're embarrassed you haven't read yet </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>A book you were given as a gift</b></span> - <i>Adventures with the Wife in Time </i>by Neil Perryman</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A Man Booker prize winner</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A fantasy book </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A book w</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">ith a male protagonist </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A book that is becoming a film or TV series in 2019</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book you can finish in a da</span><span style="color: blue;">y</span> </b>- <i>Daisy Jones & the Six</i> by Taylor Jenkins Reid</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book of poetry</span></b> - <i>Great Goddesses</i> by Nikita Gill</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>A book with a one-word title</b></span> - <i>Sanditon </i>by Jane Austen</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book based on a historical figure</span></b> - <i>Anne Boleyn: 500 Years of Lies</i> by Hayley Nolan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A non-fiction book</b></span> - <i>The Sun King and His Loves</i> by Lucy Norton</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A retelling</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A book you never finished </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A book written by two authors</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A book by an author you've never read before</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A self-help book </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A book about or written by someone with an illness</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A book you picked with your eyes closed</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: blue;"><b>A book in a genre you don't typically read</b></span> - <i>The Little Book of Witchcraft </i>by Kitty Guilsborough</span></li>
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<span style="color: blue; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Books I've Read: 9/30</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I think that's enough to be getting on with this year, don't you? I'll keep you updated on what I am reading, and plan to be ticking these off regularly this year. But even if I just beat my 2018 score by the end of the year, I will be pretty happy with myself. </span></div>
meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-6480497711272699602018-12-19T18:01:00.002+00:002018-12-19T18:01:59.712+00:00Aladdin at the New Wimbledon Theatre, December 2018<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Every year since we met, my boyfriend and I have gone to see a Christmas play of some kind. It has become a tradition. This year, after feeling disappointed by the poorly-reimagined <i>Alice in Winterland</i> at the Rose Theatre Kingston last year, we opted for a pantomime. You never know what you're going to get with a panto, and I've never been to one since moving over to England in 2012, so we didn't really remember what we would be getting ourselves in for. Were we going to be the oldest people there without children, for example. We were not. </span></div>
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<a href="https://cdn.thestage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/12104805/Paul-Merton-as-Widow-Twankey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="700" height="260" src="https://cdn.thestage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/12104805/Paul-Merton-as-Widow-Twankey.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://theatremonkeybook.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/aa3fpj5q.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://theatremonkeybook.files.wordpress.com/2018/12/aa3fpj5q.jpeg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We chose this one based on Paul Merton being in it. We like him on <i>Have I Got News for You, </i>so why not? I'm glad to say he was a wonderful Widow Twanky, and he wore those ridiculous costumes well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">What was unexpected was the delightful Pete Firman, who played Wishy Washy, Aladdin's brother. Having never heard of this comedy magician/magic consultant, I will be looking into seeing more of him as he was wonderful. Like, how cool is the job of magic consultant? Upon reading it in the programme before the start of the show, I decided I liked him immediately cause it reminded me of </span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Jonathan Creek.</i><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The comedic chemistry between Merton and Firman was by far the best part of this. I think Merton spends every show trying to think up new ways to put Firman off his lines, and I'm up for that.</span></div>
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<a href="https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/12/12/09/sei43935501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/12/12/09/sei43935501.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Lee Ryan was, expectedly, a perfect Aladdin. He was an idiot, and just useless. The way he should be portrayed. I was not expecting his off-key renditions of his own Blue songs. I was confused why he seemed to not actually know the words to his own songs, but regardless they were okay. I believed in the idea he and the equally-stupid Princess Jasmine would live happily ever after. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Everyone just seemed to have fun with it, and I had fun too. It was by far the most high-tech panto I've seen - it even had some 3D special effects. They were rubbish, but meh I'm a cynical adult. The kids in the show seemed to love them. I think panto may be the new Christmas tradition, if I can convince my boyfriend to see another one. </span></div>
meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-49930084740243329172018-12-19T17:44:00.001+00:002018-12-19T17:44:22.541+00:00The Merry Wives of Windsor at the Barbican Centre, December 2018<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://media.ticketmaster.co.uk/tm/en-gb/img/static/rsc-barbican/RSC_Merry_Wives_500x500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="500" height="400" src="https://media.ticketmaster.co.uk/tm/en-gb/img/static/rsc-barbican/RSC_Merry_Wives_500x500.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Down on his luck in the suburbs, Sir John Falstaff plans to hustle his way to a comfortable retirement by seducing the wives of two wealthy men. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Unknown to him, it's the women of Windsor who really pull the strings, orchestrating his comeuppance amid a theatrical smorgasbord of petty rivalries, jealousies and over-inflated egos. For a fat Englishman, a Welshman and a Frenchman, the only way is Windsor...</b></i> (from the RSC Barbican). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The night before going to see <i>Merry Wives </i>we had gone to see <i>Hamilton, </i>and been sadly underwhelmed with the performance. Tonight was the exact opposite. I had so much fun at this play, a play I knew next to nothing about. </span></div>
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<a href="https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/08/15/09/258114-The-Merry-Wives-of-Windsor-production-photos-2018-2018-Web-use.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="400" src="https://static.standard.co.uk/s3fs-public/thumbnails/image/2018/08/15/09/258114-The-Merry-Wives-of-Windsor-production-photos-2018-2018-Web-use.jpg" width="266" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'd like to say Shakespeare is a home run, but the past year my boyfriend and I have had seen some poor Shakespeare performances that it has become a curse we joke about. I am glad to say that curse has now broken, because this was just wonderful. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The story follows Falstaff, a fat and sleazy Lord, trying to seduce two beautiful women for their husbands' money. Of course, this doesn't go well for him as he underestimates the women, who are much cleverer than he is. He writes to the pair of them, expecting each of them to quickly fall for his pathetic charms. Instead they each share their amusement with their friend, only to realise he's sent them to exact same note. Thus, a plan to teach him a lesson is born.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alongside this main story is an abundance of amusing minor characters, and a love story between Anna Ford, the daughter of one of the women Falstaff has tried to seduce, and the man she wants to marry, Fenton. However, both Anna's parents hate him as a choice, and each have their own selected partner for her. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.barbican.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2018-08/258223_The%20Merry%20Wives%20of%20Windsor%20production%20photos_%202018_2018_Web%20use.jpg?itok=vmkcf8oX" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="300" src="https://www.barbican.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2018-08/258223_The%20Merry%20Wives%20of%20Windsor%20production%20photos_%202018_2018_Web%20use.jpg?itok=vmkcf8oX" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The setting the Barbican production chose to go with was is an Essex-style town, with Mistress Ford and Mistress Page, our two main women, being played like Pam and Dawn from <i>Gavin and Stacy. </i>I loved it. They were both wonderfully comical, very over-the-top. Their interactions with the great David Troughton, who played Falstaff, were by far the best scenes. Every one of the characters felt reliable to someone you knew, from the eccentric doctor who took great slight at everything, to the gossiping maid, to the jealous husband. </span></div>
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<a href="https://www.barbican.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2018-08/258483_The%20Merry%20Wives%20of%20Windsor%20production%20photos_%202018_2018_Web%20use.jpg?itok=5kW1gIcB" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="383" data-original-width="480" height="318" src="https://www.barbican.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/images/2018-08/258483_The%20Merry%20Wives%20of%20Windsor%20production%20photos_%202018_2018_Web%20use.jpg?itok=5kW1gIcB" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The sets were wonderful as well. Cleverly simple, but with a few added props you knew exactly where you were meant to be. You felt like you were in a pub, or by the pool. I love it when sets don't have to be complicated but are used so well. Everything on stage had a purpose. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The whole performance I was captivated by the story and the wonderful cast. I had fun, and I laughed. They captured the spirit of what I love about Shakespeare's comedies so well. I should just always go to the Barbican for my Shakespeare fix. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-84083853434715565762018-12-19T17:12:00.000+00:002018-12-19T18:03:37.610+00:00Hamilton at Victoria Palace Theatre, December 2018<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://1z1pdp2cr5ea30i3a81fh4af-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Hamilton_Press_Release-768x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="768" height="400" src="https://1z1pdp2cr5ea30i3a81fh4af-wpengine.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Hamilton_Press_Release-768x768.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Following the story of America's Founding Father Alexander Hamilton, a West Indies immigrant who became George Washington's right-hand man during the Revolutionary War, the show follows his epic journey. Starting as a child born out of wedlock, his marriage to a wealthy heiress, Hamilton goes on to become America's first Treasury Secretary, ultimately leaving a vast legacy in forging the country's financial system</b> (from Official London Theatre).</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since the summer of 2017, when my sister first sat me down and played me the entire soundtrack, I have been in love with this musical. The songs were good, the story was something I didn't know about and it was different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My sister and I had made peace with the idea we just wouldn't ever see it, as we weren't going to go to America purely to see it. But then it was announced it was coming to London, and we knew it was a sign. We waited nine months from buying our tickets to going to see it on stage, pumped to be blown away. And I wasn't. </span></div>
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<a href="https://res.cloudinary.com/solt/image/upload/q_90,fl_progressive,f_auto/v1512582035/centre_Jamael_Westman_Alexander_Hamilton_with_West_End_cast_of_Hamilton_-_Photo_credit_Matthew_Murphy_qba86k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="200" src="https://res.cloudinary.com/solt/image/upload/q_90,fl_progressive,f_auto/v1512582035/centre_Jamael_Westman_Alexander_Hamilton_with_West_End_cast_of_Hamilton_-_Photo_credit_Matthew_Murphy_qba86k.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It's a shame really. I think it's caused we'd hyped it up so much, or that we just knew the story and songs too well. There was just something about the performance, the staging, that just felt underwhelming. I expected more dancing, more use of the stage, more spectacle in certain songs that just weren't there. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Some of the performances too just weren't that good. Jason Pennycooke, as both Lafayette and Thomas Jefferson, mumbled his words so even I struggled to understand him and I knew what his lines were. It was the same for Aaron Burr, portrayed by Sifiso Mazibuko. My boyfriend, who had never heard any of it, was unimpressed when he wasn't able to grasp a lot of the story due to the mumbling. </span></div>
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<a href="https://cdn.thestage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/06174019/l-r-Rachelle-Ann-Go-Eliza-Hamilton-and-Jamael-Westman-Alexander-Hamilton-Photo-credit-Matthew-Murphy-535x357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="535" height="266" src="https://cdn.thestage.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/06174019/l-r-Rachelle-Ann-Go-Eliza-Hamilton-and-Jamael-Westman-Alexander-Hamilton-Photo-credit-Matthew-Murphy-535x357.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My favourite character is Angelica, and I'm glad that her London actress, Allyson Ava-Brown, had the voice and the emotion to land her intelligence and conflict. It is a pity Eliza didn't have a voice to match her. I'd heard such great things about Rachel Ann Go's voice, so it may have just been an off night or a poor microphone. Jamael Westman, our Hamilton, was better than I'd expected though, having seen his slightly pitchy Royal Albert Hall performance. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall, the performance was fine. I had just expected more. The hype the show has created for itself was its own downfall for me. I just wasn't swept away, and in a musical I do expect to be swept up in the story, in the music, whether I know all the songs or not. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-73955702638687983712018-10-15T22:13:00.002+01:002018-10-15T22:13:36.138+01:00Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3) by Kendare Blake<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ba/61/8d/ba618dda5196b7bd9c6f0134f00acaa5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="528" height="640" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/ba/61/8d/ba618dda5196b7bd9c6f0134f00acaa5.jpg" width="420" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>The battle has been fought, blood has been spilt and a Queen has been crowned, but not all are happy with the outcome. Katherine, the poisoner Queen, has been crowned and is trying to ignore the whispers that call her illegitimate, undead, cursed. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Mirabella and Arsinoe have escaped the island of Fennbirn, but how long before the island calls them back? </b></i></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><b>Jules is returning to Fennbirn and has become the unlikely figurehead of a revolution threatening to topple Katharine's already unsteady rule. But what good is a revolution if something is wrong with the island itself? </b>(from Amazon). </i><br />
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This series has been a long commitment for me, and each book has been a struggle to read. It is unfortunate, as the idea of the world is something I still find interesting; it's the execution of the writing and the pace of the story I have always taken issue with. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Katharine's ascension to the throne was an interesting development in book 2, and book 3 tries to carry on with this seeing her attempt to establish her rule. Just cause she's won the crown doesn't mean she will keep it. Her story is interesting, and I enjoyed the clash between Katharine and the dead Queens inside her, fighting for power inside her; Katharine is trying to regain control of herself, but in this difficult and uncertain world, where war is approaching, she is slowly losing the battle and her own mind. Since the first book, Katharine has been my favourite character, and each book she descends further into darkness, which I enjoy. I just wish there was less of the unnecessary crap filling out the rest of the book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Such as Jules. I hate Jules, always have. She has frequently gotten in the way of Arsinoe's much more interesting story, lumbered the story with her boring romance with Joseph, who I had actually forgotten would not be in this book, and overall had just been this whiny over-powered annoying character. She has her own focus in this book, becoming a symbol of the bubbling rebellion as the Legion Queen. It's a cool title though. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Mirabella and Arsinoe are on the mainland at the beginning of the book, having fled Fennbirn at the end of book 2. Again, them trying to build a new life there could be interesting but is rarely touched upon, all in favour of trying to tie everything back to the island. I don't know why this series has been stretched to 4 books, when it just allows interesting things to be introduced, but not explained or elaborated, as everything needs to be resolved at some point and why over-complicate. It just feels a shame. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As always, the ending is where the biggest reveals happen and where it sucks you in to the next book, and this ending is a cracker. As annoyed as I was with a lot of this book, and I have no doubts the next book will also piss me off and I may not enjoy the conclusion, I will definitely be buying it. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-62340329646115235272018-10-01T11:30:00.000+01:002018-10-01T11:30:11.015+01:00Book Club: Coraline by Neil Gaiman <div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you for keeping up with us, it means a lot that people are reading this. Both Sophie and I feel like we're getting the hang of this, and even if we aren't it's pushing us both to read more so we've achieved something. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>There is something strange about Coraline's new home. It's not the mist, or the cat that always seems to be watching her, nor the signs of danger that Miss Spink and Miss Forcible, her new neighbours, read in the tea leaves. It's the other house - the one behind the old door in the drawing room. Another mother and father with black-button eyes and papery skin are waiting for Coraline to join them there. And they want her to stay with them. For ever. She knows that if she ventures through that door, she may never come back </b>(from Amazon)</i><b>. </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Who chose this book and why? </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="color: #6aa84f;">Sophie: </b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I really loved this film and the style, and while I knew it was a book I never had much interest in reading it cause I'd enjoyed the movie so much and my flatmate had told me the book was very creepy, creepier than th efilm, and I don't handle those genres well. But my curiosity won and I book the book, where it has sat in my room for about two years. I'd recently gone on a LAIKA film marathan and it was in my head, calling to me. When Rachel asked for a book recommendation for our book club, I knew it was Coraline's time. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Rachel: </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I had heard similar things, and the movie had really freaked me out. I don't do well with things in houses, but as Sophie sold it so well, we went with it. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What did you like best?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>S: </b>I think the story was good; it was imaginative and plays a lot on the curiosity and mindset of children</span>. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R: </b>I liked the writing style too. It felt almost lyrical, everything flowed, every sentence described something. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What did you like least? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">R: </b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">all I could imagine when I was reading it was the film. Not the book's fault obviously, but it was hard to imagine the world separately </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>S: </b>I'm exactly the same. The book was good, but I personally enjoyed the film more because when I read I see it as a movie in my head. The film did such a good job adapting it, and adding little bits that, to me, elevated the story to another level of creepy but that's just a personal preference. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What books does this remind you of? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>as stupid as it sounds, I stay away from books like this, even if they are written for children. I have a terribly overactive imagination and, worst of all, I can't read or watch scary things set in houses. So I've grown as a person by reading this. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>I don't read horror or creepy things either. I'm not like Rachel, I can handle things like this, but I don't have a lot to base it off. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Which character/characters did you like best?</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>Coraline was very brave, still trying to free herself and save others even when she was scared and I think that's a great message. And the cat too, for obvious reasons. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>the cat was my favourite character too. He was sassy. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Which ones did you not like? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>out of the characterisation of them all I think they were all done well in their own ways. Obviously the other mother is unlikable because she's creepy and the antagonist but even then she works really well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>If it were made into a movie, who would you cast? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>not sure. Can't think of a suitable actress for Coraline, but for mother/other mother I could imagine Natalie Dormer. She's got that psychopathic smile down.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>for Coraline maybe someone like Elle Fanning circa 2010 but with dark hair? It's hard to imagine a live action through because I think the LAIKA animation did it so well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Have you read any of the author's other books? How do they compare? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>my boyfriend owns pretty much every book Neil Gaiman has ever written, and I want to read them all. Just haven't gotten round to them. I like the sound of Neil Gaiman's worlds. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>I haven't, I spend a long time not reading despite enjoying it because it takes a lot of effort so if any book sounded like it involved more than casual reading over like a year I put it off, but now I'm a bit more into it again, maybe I'll pick one up? I've heard very good things. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What did you think of the book's length? If it's too long, what would you cut? If it's too short, what would you add? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>it's a short story, so it wasn't really that long. A good amount happened in an appropriate amount of time. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>it was shorter than I thought it would be. I had a little bit of an issue with the pacing but once again I think that's just because the film was set over a few more days in the more story centred parts so I was a little shocked when some scenes came so quickly in the book, but I guess that's what watching the film first does. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What do you think of the cover? Does it work? If the book has been published with different covers, which one do you like best? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>my favourite cover is the verison illustrated by Chris Riddell. The movie tie-in is too colourful, and I don't like the style of art in the Dave McKean illustrations. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>the one I own is the Chris Riddell one, I think it's nice without revealing too much. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Would you want to live in this world? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>no way, I am fine being able to sleep, thank you. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>no, I'd definitely not be very good there. In either world. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Next up in November, we will be having The Thief Lord by Cornelia Funke (another of Sophie's choices). So we will see you guys then. </span></div>
meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-30211634867325948832018-09-04T15:30:00.000+01:002018-09-04T15:30:32.032+01:00Book Club: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/bj/9781408803318.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="644" data-original-width="420" height="640" src="https://media.bloomsbury.com/rep/bj/9781408803318.jpg" width="416" /></a><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>January 1946: Londin is emerging from the shadows of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she's never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb... </i></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>As Juliet and her new correspond exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends - and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfews by the Germans occupying their island - boasts a charming, funny, deeply human casts of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. </i></b><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society's members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever</i> </b><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">(from Goodreads). </span><br />
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<b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">What did you like best? </b></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Rachel: </b>This book surprised me with how funny it was. I was expecting this super-serious book, and while the subject matter is incredibly serious and poignant, the book doesn't allow its characters to be hindered by their past. It has shaped them, of course, but their lives and their loves go on. Perhaps if I'd watched the trailer for the movie, I'd have had a better idea of what to expect. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sophie:</b> I'm the opposite; I saw the film trailer so I knew it was a romantic/comedy/drama but I was surprised by how it went back into the war and discussed some of the horrible things that happened to everyone involved in a serious matter while also managing to keep a pretty positive, hopeful attitude. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What did you like least?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>I can't really pick a specific thing I didn't like. I think it was a pretty well-rounded romantic drama. Maybe it took me a while to get into the letter structure and remember who certain characters were. </span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R:</b> I wish it had been longer, and that I'd seen the film when it was out. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>same, it would have been interesting to see how they adapted so much information. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>What books does this remind you of? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>the fact the book was compiled from letters, the book reminded me of <i>Where Rainbows End </i>by Cecilia Ahern. I've only read a few books in this format, and that is one that has long stuck in my head. It swept me off my feet, and taught me how you could learn to love a character through correspondence. This book reminded me of that fact. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>I'm the same. As I've mentioned I didn't read a lot for a long time so my book references are pretty low, but I read <i>Where Rainbows End </i>when I was younger too, and while I've forgotten most of it the letter structure immediately reminded me of that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>Which character/characters did you like best? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>Juliet, our main character, was up there as one of my favourites. She is definitely the one I identify with personally, as she's so stubborn and determined to be who she wants to be, and she has a borderline obsession with books (during an air raid she leaves her post as a fire warden to go help them save books, before she ends up needing saving herself due to smoke inhalation). That's me all over. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>I liked Juliet too; she was headstrong and determined. I really liked that she stayed that way throughout. I also liked Isola, Kit and Sidney. They all added something different to the story more so than the others. Elizabeth sounded cool too. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>Which ones did you not like? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>there weren't many characters that weren't likeable, or were important enough to have an opinion on besides Mark, who was a twat. </span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>agreed. Why did Juliet ever like him? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>If it were made into a movie, who would you cast?<span style="color: #c27ba0;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>I came to know about this book because I saw the poster for the movie in the underground on the way to work. Lily James was already in my head as Juliet, based on the poster, which was fine as I like her in period dramas. I had imagined someone rugged for Dawsey, perhaps a less-put together Mr Darcy type. Michael Huisman does actually play Dawsey in the movie, and I think that is a fitting choice - he has that gentle but genuine smile that I feel is essential for portraying Dawsey. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>watching the trailer, no one jumped out at me as being the 'wrong' choice. I did think Isola would be more eccentric than Katherine Parkinson's look. </span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>same. I don't know who I imagined, but she should have looked more witchy. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>Have you read any of the author's other books? How do they compare? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>Mary Ann Shaffer, one of the writers, passed awya in 2008 before being able to write another novel. Annie Barrows, her niece and co-author, has written a few children's books, but I haven't read them. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>me neither. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>What did you think of the book's length? If it's too long, what would you cut? If it's too short, what would you add? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>I feel the book was a good solid length. The story felt like it was coming to an end as the book reads its final chapters. I would have liked it to have been longer, to live in this world, a little longer, but I don't feel it would have been of any benefit to the natural progression of the book. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>I think the length was good but I do wish the end was little more drawn out. I get it's all excitement and the whole novel is set over a few months, maybe almost a year? But the last chapter still felt like 'woah, okay, I guess this is happening right now'. Which was romantic but I kind of wish it was more spread out. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>What song does this book make you think of? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R:</b> some sweeping shots to the tune of a little James Horner were imagined, but I listened to the movie's instrumental soundtrack for some of the book and really enjoyed it. It had the tone of the book - melancholy but upbeat at the same time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>What do you think of the cover? Does it work? If the book has been published with different covers, which one do you like best? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R:</b> now, I usually never say this, but I liked the film tie-in cover more than the original book cover. It features Lily James as Juliet on the cover, suitcase in hand, with a beautiful scenic view of Guernsey in the background. Other covers mostly include some form of letter on the cover. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>I agree. I think the film tie-in is a bit more exciting. The others make it look a bit more serious, which it is, but it's also funny and heart-warming. I don't get that from the envelope book covers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>Which character would you most like to meet? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>I feel I'm like Juliet in a lot of ways, and I think I would like to meet Isola. Have a few pretty eccentric and weird best friends, but an addition to the mix would be welcome. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>Juliet and Isola. I just think they're both pretty neat.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>Would you want to live in this world? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>I've never been to Guernsey before, and to be honest never had a particular inkling to go. It seemed so far away - why go to Guernsey if Europe is so close? But after this book, learning a little more of the occupation, I may look into what if the history still exists there and perhaps take a trip. </span><br />
<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>I think a trip nowadays would be nice, but it would be a big no to going in the 40s. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-85315947564081215202018-08-19T21:16:00.000+01:002018-08-19T21:16:20.753+01:00Book Club: Royals by Rachel Hawkins<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/royals-rachel-hawkins-1512416852.png?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=480:*" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="725" data-original-width="480" height="400" src="https://hips.hearstapps.com/hmg-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/images/royals-rachel-hawkins-1512416852.png?crop=1xw:1xh;center,top&resize=480:*" width="263" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Meet Daisy Winters. She's an offbeat sixteen-year-old Floridian with mermaid-red hair; a part time job at a bootleg Walmart, and a perfect older sister who's nearly engaged to the Crown Prince of Scotland. Daisy has no desire to live in the spotlight, but relentless tabloid attention forces her to join Ellie at the relative seclusion of the castle across the pond. </b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>While the dashing young Miles has been appointed to teach Daisy the ropes of being regal, the prince's roguish younger brother kicks up scandal wherever he goes, and tries his best to take Daisy along for the ride. The crown - and the intriguing Miles - might be trying to make Daisy into a lady...but Daisy may just rewrite the royal rule book to suit herself </b></i>(from Goodreads).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So, welcome back to our book club. We haven't gotten off to the best start in the sense we are not exactly managing a regular review date, but we will hopefully get there one day. There should be another book review coming very soon as Sophie has caught up now. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Why choose this book? </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Rachel:</b> This was one of my choices, because there is only so much control I can exert on my rom-com tendencies, and what with the Royal Wedding sweeping the nation this year, I just couldn't resist. </span><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. What did you like
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R: </b>I enjoy stupid books like this, so I enjoyed the premise of
it a lot. It had flaws in its execution, but it did stay true to the genre.
Daisy was a good main character for a book like this, and her parents were
funny and dysfunctional. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sophie: </b>it was just a fun book. Like one of those low-budget teen rom-coms I love but in book form. I guess I liked the relationship progression too. </span></div>
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<b style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">R: </b><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">ah, those summers of watching Disney Channel original movies. Fun memories.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. What did you like
least?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R:</b> The fact it was about the <i><u>Scottish </u></i>Royal family. why??? How does that work??? Where is the divergence in history??? Please, I just want an answer. Even if it's stupid, I just want to know. Also, t</span><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">he focus was very much Daisy in this book, but there were
so many other characters that could have done with a bit more of a push.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>S: </b>I agree. There was history hinted at but never explained, but when you decide to ignore that, which I did, it's fine. Yes, a few more characters could've helped develop things, instead of just having a select few who are relevant and then a few cameos occasionally where it's hinted Daisy has spent time with them but not shown. </span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. What books does this
remind you of?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R:</b> The Prince and Me, What a Girl Wants (both not books, but
ssh)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>all of the above, and all the amazingly bad Hallmark-esque movies such as A Christmas Prince and Once Upon a Prince. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Which
character/characters did you like best?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R:</b> I liked Miles and his snark. I enjoyed Daisy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>I think they were all fairly likable but they weren't necessarily all super developed besides maybe Daisy and Miles, which makes sense due to work count and not wanting to drift too far from the plot and stuff, but I would have liked to explore more characters. So probably them. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. Which ones did you
not like?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R: </b>Ellie was boring. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>S: </b>Ellie seemed nice enough though. She was uptight and concerned about her future and despite most of the book mentioning she and Daisy fought and had grown apart, a few small things indicated she cared about her sister, which was nice. But she didn't grab me as a character. I wouldn't say I disliked her, but I wish she'd talked to Daisy more so we could have seen her develop. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R:</b> it was the same with Alex. We didn't really get to know him, did we?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>S: </b>again, he was okay but pretty one-dimensional. He's not a main character so I get why he wasn't a huge focus, but all I can remember about him is that he was classed by everyone in the book as 'the boring brother' so that's mostly his character. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R: </b>so we're agreed - we want more character development in the next books.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>yeah, I want to see more interaction and for them to become more than just what Daisy sees.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">7. If it were made into
a movie, who would you cast?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R: </b>I’d cast Katherine McNamara (loved her in Shadowhunters) as
Daisy, as I could definitely see her getting the snark of Daisy down. I’m
pretty sure Seb would be played by Grant Gustin, cause he just has that smug
look down (as Sebastian from Glee). Which leaves Miles. I have no idea who
would play Miles, but he would have to have a really nice smile.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; mso-spacerun: yes;"><b>S: I wasn't really imagining anyone, I'm bad at that. But I guess I agree about Grant Gustin though. </b><b> </b></span></span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">8. Have you read any of
the author’s other books? How do they compare?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R:</b> Years ago, I borrowed Hex Hall (the first book in her YA
paranormal romance series Hex Hall) with every intention of reading it. then I
didn’t. or maybe I did and have forgotten. Either way, had no preformed
opinions going in to this book of this writer’s style. I did read an interview
about this book, and what her influences were. She talked about how much she
loved Edinburgh when she visited, so I had hopes. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>I haven't, but I mean I'll probably read the sequel. I want to see more of these characters and see how they develop. All I want is development. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">9. What did you think of
the book’s length? If it’s too long, what would you cut? If it’s too short,
what would you add? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R: </b>The last few chapters felt very rushed, and the book felt
like it ended just as things really got going for our characters. Ellie was
finally showing some growth, and we were seeing Alexander is a slightly
different light. I would have liked perhaps a one-on-one conversation between
Daisy and Alexander, where he tells her from his point of view why he fell in
love with Ellie and what it means to have Daisy’s blessing going forward,
showing some kind of understanding of the normal life Ellie has given up to be
with him. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>I agree, it just felt a little quick at the end. It could've been a good place for some quick final character development for everyone, another glimpse into Ellie or Alex, but suddenly we're in Florida again and it's all over. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">10. What song does this
book make you think of? (suggests making a playlist)</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>R: </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Royals</i> by Lorde
(obviously)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Someone to You</i> by
Banners (for Daisy and Miles) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Wreck Havoc</i> by
Skylar Grey (sums up Seb and his friends well, I think)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">11. What do you think of
the cover? Does it work? If the book has been published with different covers,
which one do you like best? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R:</b> I liked the cover. It was very pink, so I did feel kind of
self-conscious reading it on the tube in rush hour. Did slow me down reading
it. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>S: </b>the cover looks really young, kind of pre-teen glam. I don't know what else it could have been but it seems so overly young, despite it being a teen novel. </span></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif;"><b>R:</b> less pink, more Princess Diaries basically? Damn, they were good books. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">12. Which character would
you most like to meet?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R: </b>I liked to meet Miles and Alex. Don’t think I could keep up
with Seb and his other friends. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><b>S: </b>Daisy and her friend whose name I've already forgotten seem nerdy and also kind of cool, so I guess them. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: #c27ba0;"><b>R: </b>I've also forgotten her name, but yes, I would agree you would fit in nicely to their group. But does that make me Ellie? Cause, you know, I'll happily marry a Prince if that's the case.</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">13. Would you want to
live in this world?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>As previously mentioned, if I knew the history of how the
Scottish royal family still existed in this world, I could let it go and would
be very interested in seeing their touch on modern Edinburgh. But yeah, I’ve
been to Edinburgh before for the Fringe festival a couple years ago and loved
it a lot, and have recommended going to everyone I’ve met since. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>I guess we kind of do already. I mean, it's the real world; there's just a Scottish Royal family. So I guess it'd be cool to see it, but it can't be that much different. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"></span>meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-31535254251919101122018-06-04T18:12:00.000+01:002018-06-04T18:15:33.755+01:00Book Club: The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) by Maggie Stiefvater <a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2BfMyacxqL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="522" height="640" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71%2BfMyacxqL.jpg" width="416" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Blue has spent the majority of her sixteen years being told that if she kisses her true love, he will die. When Blue meets Gansey on the corpse road she knows there is only one reason why - either he is her true love or she has killed him. Determined to find out the truth, Blue becomes involved with the Raven boys, four boys from the local private school (lead by Gansey) who are on a quest to discover Glendower - a lost ancient Welsh King who is buried somewhere along the Virginia ley line. </i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Whoever finds him will be granted a supernatural favour. Never before has Blue felt such magic around her. But is Gansey her true love? She can't imagine a time she would feel like that, and she is adamant not to be the reason for his death. Where will fate lead them? </i></b>(from Amazon). </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Welcome to the currently-untitled book club review number 1, hosted by myself (Rachel) and my sister Sophie. Our first pick has been Maggie Steifvater's <i>The Raven Boys. </i>The plan is to upload a few blog reviews, and if we can keep it up we may move into vlogs. But we're going to take one step at a time, so please be patient as we figure out how this works. I promise we're not as awkward as we seem. A credit to <a href="https://bookriot.com/2017/08/21/book-club-discussion-questions/" target="_blank">BookRiot</a> for the inspiration for some of our book club discussion questions. For ease, my answers will be coloured purple, and Sophie's in green to easily differentiate. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Right, so let's start with <b>question number 1: what did you like best? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Rachel: </b>what I liked about this story was how supernatural it felt. It wasn't an urban fantasy-style book, despite being set in the real world. There was such a focus on the magic/supernatural element that real-life stuff took a backseat most of the time. Favourite quote: "<i>All this time she'd been wondering how Gansey might die and it turned out she was going to strangle him." </i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>Sophie: </b>I liked that everyone had a distinct personality, and they interacted suitably with each other. I bought the relationships between the main group. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>2: Which character/characters did you like the best? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>Ronan was perhaps my favourite. He seems very prickly and sarcastic, so I think we'd get along. A classic example of Ronan's sharp wit is this: </span><br />
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<b><i><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You seem to have an extremely large bag today, My Lynch," Whelk said. </span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"You know what they say about men with large bags," Ronan replied. "Ostendes tuum et ostendam menus?"</span></i></b><br />
<b><i><span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Gansey had no idea what Ronan had just said, but he was certain from Ronan's smirk that it wasn't entirely polite.</span></i></b></blockquote>
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Who else could be a shit in Latin?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>Adam and Noah. I liked that Noah just kept telling everyone he was dead, and Adam seemed really sweet. Gansey was a bit of an idiot, especially around Blue, but he has a good heart, I think.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>3: Which character/characters did you not like? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>There wasn't anyone I didn't like, or at least I didn't feel anyone was dead weight in the story. Everyone, even the ones written to not be liked, had a purpose to the plot. Can't say that about every YA book. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>Ronan when he was being a douche, which was most of the time. I could get on board with him when he was talking back to the creepy teacher and when he protected Adam. But he's clearly got a lot of issues that he needs to work on.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>4: If this was made into a movie, who would you cast? </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R</b>: I'm absolutely terrible at imagining characters correctly, cause I read descriptions and then imagine my own characters anyway. Sometimes they match up, but this particular time they definitely don't. Blue, for example, is described with short black hair and having dark skin like her mother. In my head, she was definitely a redhead and had freckles, so based on my imagined look, I'd cast Erin Kellyman. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">S: I'm bad at imagining actual people when I read, so I usually like to create avatars to help me visualise what I'm reading. I did actually imagine short hair for Blue, and clearly took in the character descriptions, unlike Rachel. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">5: Have you read any of the author's other books? How do they compare?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R:</b> I've actually actively avoided Maggie Stiefvater's books since trying to read <i>Shiver </i>(part of her YA werewolf series) a number of years ago. The few chapters I read were just painful, and I hadn't enjoyed the writing style. It just put me off her work. I'd only really heard decent-to-good things about this series, and it was Sophie's only suggested book for our book club so I was definitely going to give it a chance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S:</b> No, I haven't read any of her other stuff. However, I have started to read the next book in the series. Already have some issues, but there is potential there. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>6: Which character would you most like to meet? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R:</b> I think I'd like my fortune told by Blue's family. Perhaps not Neeve - she seems super untrustworthy. Maybe Persephone (cause I love her name). I'd love to have my future told by someone who isn't just talking shit like they do in real life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>Adam seems nice, so he'd be the person I would want to meet up with. Maybe Noah. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>7: Would you want to live in this world? </b></span><br />
<span style="color: #c27ba0; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>R: </b>I would love to live in a world of magic and psychics. If I had to live here though, I'd want to be gifted like Blue's family. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>S: </b>it's okay, I guess; it'd be cool if you had magic. But everyone else in the town is just going to school and working, totally oblivious to all this shit that's going down, and then occasionally people die because of crazy people fascinated by ley lines. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall, I'd say this was more successful than either of us thought it would be. With a little bit of a nudge, we can get Sophie to expand her answers a little bit more, and we can get a conversation going. Hope you guys liked attempt number 1 though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our next book will be ... (insert drumroll here) <b>Royals by Rachel Hawkins. </b>Hopefully it will be out sometime at the end of the month. Perhaps earlier if we can both finish it before then. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks very much for reading, and if you think there's a way we can improve let us know in the comments below. Always happy for some constructive criticism. </span>
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<br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" />meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-28052563418982312182018-06-04T15:51:00.001+01:002018-06-04T15:54:30.231+01:00Book Club Annoucement<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">For a long time, I've wanted to be part of a real book club. I've tried a number of times to find online ones that work for me, as well as real-life ones, but due to work commitments and generally being anti-social anyway, it's just never really worked out. I tried to start one with a friend of mine but he then fell into a reading dry spell. So the idea has long been cursed for me, and this incarnation is also probably cursed too. But let's give it a go anyway. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This book club comprises of me, Rachel, and my sister, Sophie. I am now near my mid-twenties (dear god, I'm starting to get old) and Sophie has just turned twenty-one. Of the two of us, I'm definitely what you would call the reader. Sophie reads sporadically, let's say. This is a challenge for both of us, to give us some structure in our attempt to read more. However, my request didn't go as well as hoped at first. This is how my first mention went: </span></div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Rachel: would you start a book club with me?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Sophie: does it involve having to read?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Yeah, that's basically what I'm working with. Painful at times, but I love her. Once we'd established that yes, our book club would in fact require some reading, it was settled. Our book club was born. Not much of a structure or a reading list is in place yet - it's still very much a kind of trial run to test what works for a while - so keep watching and we'll see together what this shapes into, if anything. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our first book is going to be <b><i>The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) </i>by Maggie Steifvater </b>and it should be out in the next few weeks.<b> </b>The aim is a quick and easy starting point. Wish us luck. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">P.S. Sophie will be getting more input on the actual book club review post. She didn't really know what to say in this one, other than 'hi'. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-53660171850095832572018-05-30T00:38:00.001+01:002018-05-30T00:38:21.476+01:00Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3)<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Kady, Ezra, Hanna and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza - but who knows what they'll find seven months after the invasion?</b></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Meanwhile, Kady's cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza's ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys - an old flame from Asha's past - reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken</b> (from Goodreads). </i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I still remember reading <i>Illuminae, </i>and being so excited that the hype of a book hadn't been unfounded, like it is for so many books these days. I fell in love with the world and the characters instantly. The same happened with <i>Gemina</i> - the world just kept building. <i>Obsidio, </i>as the last in a wonderful series, therefore had a lot to deliver, and I'm so relieved to hear it succeeded. <b><span style="color: red;">Some brief spoilers ahead.</span></b> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our new characters introduced into the fray are Asha, Kady's cousin, and Rhys, her ex-boyfriend and the reason she came to Kerenza in the first place. Though I didn't bond with either of them the same way I did on the introduction of Ezra and Kady, or Hanna and Nik, they made sense for the story. They both had their own character arcs, and grew from their past experiences and mistakes. They just unfortunately felt like nothing new, and I wanted something really fresh if we were going to have another romance intricate to the book. But I didn't hate them, so it wasn't really a problem for me. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hanna and Nik's story arc remained the most interesting, as both of them have changed so much in such a short period of time, Hanna the most. She has lost everything she knew, the safety of her privileged life. Though she is a badass, there is still an adjustment period for her to mourn her father, her understanding of the world. So much has changed, and I'm glad a romance with Nik wasn't immediately jumped into despite them becoming so close in the last book. They both are still getting over what happened, and it's not their main priority right now to be together. It felt realistic, and though I did want them both to be happy, it made sense to slowly approach the obstacles they face. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Kady and Ezra have found a level ground for their own relationship, so it does take a slight backseat for this book. Their romance isn't their focus in this book - saving the thousands under their care is. Of all the main characters, they've had the longest to adjust to this new situation they're all found themselves in, and they're the ones who are the most prepared for the fight. They've already grown from their experiences, but are continuing to develop into the leaders their people need. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And AIDAN is back, and as </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">terrifyingly pragmatic as ever. He should not be trusted, ever, and I enjoy that about him. He is without doubt my favourite character, as could be guessed by my other reviews of this series. His strange attachment to Kady is very endearing, but also kind of creepy. Their scenes have so much heart to them, which is very difficult to do as he is an AI system, and their interactions near the end of the book did bring me to tears. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The actual ending of the book was a little bit of a let down, I will have to admit. It's not like I <i>wanted </i>anyone to die, but it felt strange that everyone survived basically without a scratch. Each of the books built on the idea of loss and growth from grief, and then to not actually show war does have consequences, that people you love can be affected, just seemed a little empty. For all our main characters to get a happy ever after, having won their case and moving on to normal lives, just didn't fee like the right ending, but I have no idea what would have been. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I enjoyed my journey though this series, and will be keeping an eye out for more from these authors. I have already dived into Jay Kristoff's <i>Nevernight Chronicles </i>and will keep an eye out for Amie Kaufman's future books. The presentation and style of these books will be something I will miss greatly, and so I hope more authors dare to tell a story in a slightly different way. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-30794733190023746652018-05-29T19:03:00.000+01:002018-05-29T19:03:00.271+01:00This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1) by Victoria Schwab<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/2016/07/this_savage_song_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="533" height="640" src="https://cdn1.thr.com/sites/default/files/2016/07/this_savage_song_cover.jpg" width="425" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>There's no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains - and friends or enemies - with the future of their homes at stake. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i style="font-weight: bold;">Kate Harker and August Flynn are heirs to a divided city - a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent - but he's one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who's just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returning home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August's secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives </i>(from Goodreads)<i style="font-weight: bold;">. </i></span><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Ticking off my book written by a female author for my 2018 challenge, this book has long been on my radar to read. I remember it receiving a lot of hype when it was released, and the same can be said for the sequel, and last of the duology, released last year. It was just not something I got round to reading, until now.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The story follows Kate Harker and August Flynn, two young people living in a world where monsters are real. They live on opposite sides of a fractured city, their fathers running their half as they see fit. Kate's father is ruthless, and rules his city through fear and money. August's father strives for something less corrupt. Their lives intertwine when August is finally sent on a mission - to infiltrate a fancy private school in Harker's side of the city, and to gain intel on Kate. Another war is looming, and the Flynns want to prevent it if they can, by any means necessary. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What Victoria Schwab had said about this book was it was "Romeo and Juliet minus romance plus monsters", and I can see what she meant by that having read this book. There is an element of a mutual attraction, a mutual understanding of feeling out of place in the world, when the two finally meet. It could be the beginning of a romance, it could be the beginning of a meaningful friendship. The story is left open in that regard, and in a way it's refreshing. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The story itself is a little slow for me, a little too simple. There was clearly a lot of thought put into this world, its history, its leaders and key players, and to me it felt that would have been a more interesting story to tell, rather than simply following August and Kate's journey of self-discovery. Perhaps there is more to be told in the sequel, <i>Our Dark Duet</i>. Perhaps now our main characters are set up to be more important in the game of politics and war, they can show us the kind of people they have grown into. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I liked Kate as a character; she was smart and resourceful, and ruthless when she needed to be. There was a heart she tries to keep hidden under the untouchable facade of being her father's daughter. I liked August at times too, but he just seems a little bland compared to the more complex characters of his siblings. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Compared to her adult fiction, this book was a disappointment, but that's only because her <i>Shades of Magic </i>series is just amazing. Such a complex, intricate story with interesting characters and a world you never want to leave. In that sense, it is an unfair comparison, I know. But to know what she can do, and then see the wasted potential of this book, it's hard not to compare. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Overall though, I did enjoy it. Actually managed to finish it, unlike Pierce Brown's <i>Red Rising, </i>the book I read before this, which was actually painful. Going to get round to reading the second book, to see if what I predicted has come to pass. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-43005458116798331192018-01-04T22:53:00.000+00:002018-01-04T22:53:19.533+00:00Red Rising (Red Rising #1) by Pierce Brown <div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.beniceorleavethanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/redrising.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.beniceorleavethanks.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/redrising.jpg" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="519" height="400" width="258" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the colour-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he spends his life willingly, knowing that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><b>But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity already reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and sprawling parks spread across the planet. Darrow - and Reds like him - are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. </b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b style="font-style: italic;">Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity;s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society's ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies...even if it means he has to become one of them to do so</b> (from Goodreads). </span><br />
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating: unrated as unfinished</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So I aimed to start 2018 off with a bang and tick off one of my 2018 Ultimate Book Challenge books, the book recommended to me by a friend. Instead, sadly, I've ended up with a book I can't bring myself to finish. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span><i>Red Rising </i>is a book that's been on my radar a while now, having been recommended to me by a friend sometime last year. She does not typically read a lot of fiction, particularly not dystopian fiction, but she offered such praise for this book and had bought the rest of the books in the series. I wouldn't have even known from her description that it was young adult dystopian fiction, a genre I'm starting to move away from, but I gave it a shot as she had made it seem really interesting. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span>The first part of the book was quite good, the first few chapters grabbing my initial attention. Darrow and Eo's introduction worked, and I really grew to care about them and their lives. The world of the Reds, the culture they had created, was interesting to learn about. There was great potential for the book to continue on this trajectory. Even as the setting changed and Darrow learned the truth about society on Mars, that the Reds had been lied to, there was such potential to tell a gripping story about destroying a corrupt society from the inside, starting with his adventures at the training academy for the Golds. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span>Unfortunately, the training academy is the real letdown of the book. Taking up about 3/4 of the actual book, the story stagnates as for some reason the author thought it would be interesting to spend that time playing pretend war in fortresses and forests. The students are placed into factions and the game ends when one House dominates all others. What should be an interesting exercise of morals, of discovering the lengths one will go to to survive, of rivalry and friendship, it is just dragged on far, far too long. A few chapters would have been much more suitable, and actually allowed for proper story development in other ways. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><br /></span>I grew to hate everything and everyone in the book, and have been unable to bring myself to complete it. Another fifty pages and I would have been finished, but I can't do it. Getting this far has already been so painful. Nothing of any interest has happened in the past hundred pages, so I'm cutting my loses. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I know a little about how the series goes, and that there is a sequel series coming set in the same world with many of the same characters, but I don't think I'll ever get to reading them. <i>Red Rising </i>was actually just highly disappointing. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-17742110747989970362018-01-04T22:46:00.000+00:002018-10-29T21:50:16.007+00:002018 Ultimate Reading Challenge<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://www.donorlynk.com/a-main/2016/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/new_year_2018_color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="800" height="425" src="https://www.donorlynk.com/a-main/2016/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/new_year_2018_color.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This year, I plan to finish a reading challenge. 2017 wasn't a great year for my reading, so a plan with a bit more structure should help. I'm also hoping it pushes me to try new genres and different authors, as I want to expand my horizons. As I go through my year, I'll add the titles I read, just to keep track of how many I managed to tick off. The aim is to tick off all 49, but let's see. </span></div>
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<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book you read in school</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">A book from your childhood</b></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book published over 100 years ago</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book published in the last year</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A non-fiction book</span> - </b><i>Mary Tudor: England's First Queen </i>by Anna Whitelock </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book written by a male author </span>- </b><i>Coraline </i>by Neil Gaiman </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book written by a female author </span>- </b><i>This Savage Song (Monsters of Verity #1)</i> by Victoria Schwab</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book by someone who isn't a writer</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book that became a film</span> - </b><i>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society</i> by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book published in the 20th century</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book set in your hometown/region</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book with a name in the title</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book with a number in the title </span>- </b><i>Two Dark Reigns (Three Dark Crowns #3)</i> by Kendare Blake</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book based on a true story </b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book recommended by someone else</span> </b>- <i>Red Rising </i>by Pierce Brown</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book with over 500 pages</span> - </b><i>Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)</i> by Sarah J Maas</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book you can finish in a day </span>- </b><i>A Court of Frost and Starlight (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3.1) </i>by Sarah J Maas </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A previously banned book </b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book with a one-word title</span> - </b><i>Royals</i> by Rachel Hawkins</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book translated from another language</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A personal growth book</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A memoir or journal</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book by someone younger than you</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book set somewhere you'll visit this year</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book with a place in the title</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book set in the future</span> - </b><i>Obsidio (The Illuminae Files #3) </i>by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman </span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A play</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A scary book</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A funny book</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book of short stories</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A trilogy or series</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A bestseller</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book you own but haven't read</span> - </b><i>Rebel of the Sands (Rebel of the Sands #1) </i>by Alwyn Hamilton</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book about philosophy</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>An epic poem </b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A Victorian novel </span>- </b><i>A Christmas Carol</i> by Charles Dickens</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-weight: bold;">A book of poetry</span><b> - </b><i>Women of Resistance: Poems of a New Feminism</i>, edited by Danielle Barnhart and Iris Mahan</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book with a colour in the title</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book with an appealing cover</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book about psychology</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book about science</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A graphic novel</span> - </b><i>American Vampire</i> by Scott Snyder, Rafael Albuquerque and Stephen King</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A self-published book</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A famous author's first book</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book of non-fiction essays</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: blue;">A book by an author you've never read before</span> - </b><i>The Raven Boys (The Raven Cycle #1) </i>by Maggie Stiefvater</span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book you were supposed to read in school</b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book with a character with your first name </b></span></li>
<li style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>A book set in the place you live today </b></span></li>
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<span style="color: red; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><b>How many books read: 15/49</b></span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-418950801394942539.post-81854281528906914822017-12-03T23:44:00.003+00:002017-12-03T23:44:33.939+00:00Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fF0EF_C-KEA/TFB-IQqI3fI/AAAAAAAABao/EOrCET7LJXQ/s1600/Graceling+Gollancz+for+blogger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1382" data-original-width="904" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_fF0EF_C-KEA/TFB-IQqI3fI/AAAAAAAABao/EOrCET7LJXQ/s1600/Graceling+Gollancz+for+blogger.jpg" width="418" /></a></div>
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<i style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight - she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. And now she is forced to work as the King's thug. But she never expects to fall in love with the beautiful Prince Po...</span></b></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace - or the terrible secrets that lie hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone </b>(from Goodreads). </span></i></div>
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<span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Rating:</span>★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">★</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span><span style="color: #ffaa00; font-size: 200%;">☆</span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">From the synopsis, I know how stupid and cliche this book sounds. And while I went into it with an open mind, I must admit it sadly is as cliched as this suggests. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I enjoy these kinds of books most of the time, and I am happy to read a cliche from time to time if it's done right, if you're that invested in the world and the characters that you just don't care. Unfortunately, when it's not done right, it just feels disappointing, because you can see how it could have been better, you can easily compare it to other books and you know how it could have been done better. <i>Graceling </i>was a book not done right, unfortunately. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Character wise, the book could have been stronger, much stronger. Of the main cast, it seems only Katsa and Po have been given any length to flesh themselves out, and that's disappointing. You should engage with more of the world around you than your two main characters. I liked Katsa as a character, though as the book went on she just seemed to weaken. I just never get why a strong female character has to make friends and realise maybe she isn't so much of a bitch after all at the end. Why can't she make friends but still be comfortable in the knowledge she isn't like other people? Why does it seem like at the end of the book maybe she will end up getting married and having children, despite her saying throughout she doesn't want either of those things? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Po was never really a character I warmed to. There was nothing offensive about him; he just seemed too nice. The entire book he never steps a foot wrong, is the gentleman who 'is the only guy who really understands Katsa'. It just made him feel so two-dimensional, being this good guy all the time. What little of Raffin, Katsa's cousin, we saw I enjoyed. He seemed funny, and a bit mad with his potions. Bitterblue was also an interesting minor character, who ends up with her own sequel though I'm not sure I will be reading it. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There were enjoyable parts of the book, and times when I was really quite invested in what was happening. The first couple of chapters following Katsa's jailbreak were good, well-imagined and vivid. Her life in Randa City as the King's pet could have been really fascinating, if it had been explored more. But it felt like a backdrop to the Katsa-Po show I wasn't feeling.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sadly, <i>Graceling </i>fell down with its lack of truly engaging prose or a fully-realised world. The suspense wasn't there for the second half of the book, despite all this hype of this clever villain. It was easy enough to read, but I could fell my thoughts drifting to ideas of improvement. It wasn't as engaging as I'd hoped, so sadly I probably won't continue the series. But it does get 3 stars, because I did like it, I did finish it and overall it didn't offend me. </span></div>
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meridianreviewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06119748433634274767noreply@blogger.com0