Book Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Book Review: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Book reviews, Fantasy
I picked up Graceling by Kristin Cashore because it was, what I thought, a relatively short fantasy novel to dig my teeth into before the festive period started. However, it ended up being a bit more of a slog than I would have hoped. [caption id="attachment_1548" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that this review contains affiliate links. This means if you decide to purchase Graceling via any of the links in this article, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you from Amazon which supports the blog. These affiliate links do not influence my final opinion of the product. Graceling focuses on the story of Katsa who has learned from a young age that she has something called a “Grace” which means she…
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Book Review: The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte

Book Review: The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte

Book reviews, Nonfiction
If you didn’t know - like the big kid I am - I absolutely adore all things Dinosaurs. Admittedly my interest hasn’t spread out into much more than simply reading up about them and watching films/documentaries about them. But either way - I love these enormous, dangerous creatures that lived millions of years ago. [caption id="attachment_1524" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] That’s why, when I saw The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs by Steve Brusatte on sale on Amazon, I just had to pick it up. In all honesty, I wasn’t 100% sure what I was purchasing, I’d just seen it was a celebrated book and had quite an appealing front cover. The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs is actually a non-fictional telling of the… well… the…
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Book Review: Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

Book Review: Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline

Book reviews, Sci-Fi
Ready Player One was one of my favourite science fiction novels I’d ever read when I first picked it up. It was a brilliantly nerdy book filled with cultural references, video game references and a multi-layered story that discusses the evolution and effects of technology on culture and wove in a fun ‘bigger than this’ storyline too. [caption id="attachment_1482" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Ready Player Two has come out after Ready Player One was made into a fairly successful movie too and so comes with a lot of hype behind it. It carries on soon after the events of Ready Player One with Wade Watts and co dealing with their newfound fame, money and lives. Plot – 3.5/5 As I said, Ready Player Two carries on the story…
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Book Review: A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman

Book Review: A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman

Book reviews, Contemporary Fiction
A Man Called Ove is a heart-warming book about a grumpy old man whose melancholic and monotonous life is turned upside when a new family move in next door. Ove begins to see that there may be some light when he thought his only light was gone. [caption id="attachment_1448" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest[/caption] The reason I picked up A Man Called Ove is similar to that for why I pick up a lot of books - I had seen a lot of good things about it, it looked like not a long commitment and I had the kindle version of it ready to go. I knew it was going to be a lighthearted read but I didn’t realise it was going to get me so damn emotional. Plot…
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Book Review: We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Book Review: We Begin at the End by Chris Whitaker

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller
I’d not heard of We Begin at the End before I bought it. I bought it because it was £2 on Amazon. But wow - it blew me away and it may well be the best £2 I’ve ever spent on anything ever. Read on to find out why. [caption id="attachment_1441" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] We Begin at the End tells the tale of Walk, Duchess, Vincent, Robin, Star and a whole cast of incredible characters from a backwater town in America. It tells two tales: that of a murder in the town and who the killer might be and that of Duchess and Robin, two children who deserve so much more from life. Plot – 4.5/5 We Begin at the End tells the tale of Walk’s attempt…
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Book Review: The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

Book Review: The Burning God by R.F. Kuang

Book reviews, Fantasy
The final book in The Poppy War series is The Burning God. It’s a book that aims to round up a vast ongoing war and give us a satisfying end to a tale that was nominated and has won some high fantasy awards so far. Does it do the series justice? [caption id="attachment_1417" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] The Burning God follows on from The Dragon Republic. The Burning God tells the tale of how Rin aims to overthrow the dragon republic and how she hopes to put one final end to this war and reclaim the land and put an end to the evil that has spread across the land. Plot – 4.5/5 The plot of The Burning God is fantastic. It’s a sweeping journey across over 600…
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Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Book Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Book reviews, Fantasy
I think if you’re a fan of YA fantasy, you’ll likely have heard of Laini Taylor and the Daughter of Smoke & Bone book. - I certainly had. So when I saw the incredible deal to get all three books in the series on Amazon for £5, I jumped at the opportunity and picked them up. [caption id="attachment_1404" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption]   Daughter of Smoke & Bone is the first book in the Daughter of Smoke & Bone series which focuses on Karou and her exploration of where she came from and how truly important she is to stop a war that’s lasted thousands of years between two mythical factions in another world. Plot – 5/5 Karou fills her days drawing in her sketchbook everything around her,…
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Book Review: Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

Book Review: Orphan X by Gregg Hurwitz

Book reviews, Mystery, Thriller
Orphan X is the first book in the Orphan X series featuring Evan Smoak, also known as the Nowhere Man. It’s an action thriller featuring a man spoken only in whispers with a very high-level set of skills called upon by those in the most desperate circumstances looking for his help. Cool premise huh? [caption id="attachment_1400" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that the article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Orphan X via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. In my attempt to try out all the different notable entries in the action/thriller genre, Orphan X was a…
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Book Review: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

Book Review: The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang

Book reviews, Fantasy
The Dragon Republic is the second book in The Poppy War series written by R.F. Kuang. The first book was a huge success in the fantasy community with the Asian-inspired fantasy setting really drawing fans into some unique and fun. But does the sequel live up to the original? [caption id="attachment_1380" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that the article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase The Dragon Republic via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. I’ll start out by suggesting you go and read my review of The Poppy War before starting my review of The Dragon Republic…
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Book review: Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

Book review: Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

Book reviews, Crime, Mystery
Along Came a Spider is the first crime/action thriller in the critically and commercially acclaimed Alex Cross series. If you’re a fan of crime fiction or action books, you’ve likely heard of James Patterson and you’ve also likely heard of Alex Cross. [caption id="attachment_1339" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Pin me to Pinterest![/caption] Please note that the article contains affiliate links. This means if you choose to purchase Along Came a Spider via one of these links, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you to support the blog. These links do not affect my final opinion of the product. Along Came a Spider focuses on the story of the kidnapping of two high-powered individuals’ children. There are some focuses on race and equality, there is an interesting storyline…
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