Vivienne Lee Fraser's Blog, page 4
August 14, 2020
Time Travel Adventures
Stephen Hawkins wrote, ‘If time travel is possible, where are the tourists from the future?‘. Realistically we know time travel isn’t feasible—yet, but we love to imagine that it is. At the moment my family is watching the final series of The Agents of Shield, which has the main characters going back through time, and with the release of my second Time Guardians book I have been rather obsessed with reading other books in the genre.
This week I am reviewing two Jodi Taylor novels; one perhaps more adult focussed, but one that YA readers will enjoy. The third isn’t strictly a Time Travel book, but it is a unique look at history and time through the eyes of someone who lived through it
Just One Damned Thing After Another – Jodi Taylor
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My perfect job growing up would have been travelling back in time, experiencing history and writing about it. Unfortunately we all grow up and realise our dream jobs are not achievable—or are they. What I attracted me to Just One Damn Thing after Another, apart from the title, was historian Madeleine Maxwell (Max) applying for a job at The St. Mary’s institute, not realising they are actually able to take here into the past so she can see history happen. My dream job!
Not only did Jodi Taylor’s concept excite me, but her characters captured my heart. Max is brave and foolhardy, Leon Farrell is forever practical, and Tim Petersen is dashing and just the person you would want to go on mad-cap adventures wth. They, along with a cast of more than interesting characters, carry a great story line back in history, causing chaos and mayhem wherever they go—but, of course, it’s never their fault. While the team is busy recording history, there is another team bent on destroying St. Mary’s at all costs.
I loved the premise, the characters and the story line of this entire series. Some of the content is best for older YA readers, but if you enjoy a good laugh thrown in with a touch of history, then this is the read for you.
Buy Just One Damned Thing After Another (Chronicles of St. Mary’s) from Amazon [image error]
Doing Time by Jodi Taylor
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When you have mayhem running through the timeline there is always a risk time could collapse, that is unless you have Time Police. In Jodi Taylor’s universe, the Time Police are almost as bad as the bad guys and are St. Mary’s natural enemies. So you can imagine Madeleine Maxwell is not too happy to find her son has joined them as a cadet.
His St.Mary’s origins make him an outcast. Along with two other recruits with equally unusual backgrounds no one else wants—Jane and Luke, Matthew must help form a team to pass his final test before becoming a Time Policeman. Of course they not only have to over-come their own handicaps, but they must also survive a political situation that is bigger than all of them.
This is a fantastic YA coming of age read in a Time Travel environment which has all of the craziness of the St. Mary’s Chronicles, without the adult content. The three main characters are quirky, and I think most people would find at least one they identify with, but my favourite is Jane. Unassuming, she is the quiet achiever no one should underestimate—she just doesn’t know it yet.
I listened to this book on audible and Zara Ramm as narrator really made the story. Perhaps this is one to consider for your next road trip.
Buy Doing Time: Time Police, Book 1 from Amazon [image error]
How to Stop Time by Matt Haig
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So, straight up, this book isn’t about time travel, but it sort of is. Told in the present, Tom Hazard has returned to London years after having left—many, many, years after, and it has brought back memories from his first visit there after his mother had been drowned … as witch.
Moving back to London has awakened his memories of not only losing his nothing, but the one great love of his life who he was forced to abandon when people began to notice he didn’t age. When he left his wife, he also left his daughter, who he has been searching for ever since.
Tom is one of the long lived. So he may look like any man in his forties, but he is more than 400 years old. Helped by the Albatross Society he has been able to blend in by moving from country to country, meeting some of history’s great and good. They have only one rule—don’t fall in love and don’t make connections. This has been easy to follow until now. Back in London he finds himself slowly connecting again with the world, and this places him in danger.
This book was initially difficult to get get into because of the way it jumped between past and present, but I stuck with it and was rewarded with an amazing read. The concept of a person surviving through centuries of history, but not really living after his twenties was a twist that really made me think about the benefits of long life. When Tom begins to awaken he also begins to question whether survival is enough.
Such a great read, but really for the older YA readers.
Buy How to Stop Time from Amazon [image error]
Some More Time Travel Offerings
This hasn’t been The Bookbubble’s first dip into reviewing time travel books. If you are interested, I also review A Wish After Midnight and Sam reviewed The 1,000 Year Old Boy.
If you are looking for some YA Time Travel Reads, why not have a look at some of these. My book the Swagman the first book in The Guardians of Time Series is included.
[image error]https://storyoriginapp.com/bundles/f7136ad6-c57f-11ea-89e0-1f147378615f
[image error] Or why not pre-order Alchemist
August 5, 2020
Reading Creatively
As some parts of Australia go into lockdown again and children are working from home, my Bookbubble book sales have increased. While I was posting books out today I thought parents must be going mad having to teach from home again—they must surely be running out of activity ideas. So I decided to write an extra post about things you can do at home to inspire your children about the books they are reading.
This is not a post about how to get your children to read, I have done a few of those, but how to inspire your children about the books they are reading in a different way.
New Readers
New readers and teens were the two most difficult group to find activities for. For new readers, learning to read is hard, and they are not always ready for the more fun, comprehension activities. Some, I am sure, will be able to skip to the advance readers and middle grade section. Here are couple of the more fun ideas I found to make learning to read and understanding books fun.
Say and Stomp – this is one of my favourites. Write words, letters or sounds on paper cups. When your child says what is on the cup they can stop it. What a great way to celebrate achievement.
Silly Voices – Make up silly voices when you or they read. You can do the whole book in a silly voice, or make one up for each of the characters.
[image error]image from https://www.kindpng.com/
Wanted Poster – Make a wanted poster for the bad guy in the book. Depending on the level of skill, you can print a wanted frame from from the internet (I found some here) and help with the description, or you can set your child to do their own from scratch.
Advanced Readers and Middle Grade
There were so many activities for this group I did not know where to start, so I grouped them into two types of activities; Knowing Your Main Character and Settings. Depending on your Middle Grader’s access to social media, they may be able to do some of the Teens activities.
Knowing Your Main Character
Draw a picture of a main character as a baby, teen, adult and elderly person. Describe what they are doing in each image.
Expressions – choose a scene your main character is in and take photos of your face with the expressions you image the character making throughout the scene.
3 Wishes – Imagine a genie dropped into the book in the middle, what 3 wishes would the main characters wish for and why.
Settings
[image error]Copywrite Jim Simpson
Map – draw a map of where the book is set. Include all the points where key events take place.
Tourist Guide – with a tourist guide for where the book is set. Include all the main points of interest.
Teens
These were the activities that most inspired me when I found them, I hope they inspire your teens to dig deeper into the books they have to read.
For the Techie Kids
Create a Facebook Page – create a dummy Facebook page for the main character and add a few posts of recent activities.
Dating the Bad Guy – Create a social media dating profile for the villain of the piece, include a description of their ideal date,
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Meme or advert – create a meme or advert they believe will either get other kids to read the book, or enraptures what the book is about.
Linkedin Profile – imagine you are one of the book’s characters and you are looking for a job. Create a dummy linked in profile for them.
For the Music Buffs
Movie Music – Imagine your book is now a movie, what music would be the theme for song for each character.
Make a Playlist – Choose a character in the book and make a playlist for them. Chose a song they would listen to for each scene in the book.
For the Fashionista
Movie Costumes – Choose a character and make a costume scrapbook. Find an outfit for each scene that character is in.
For the Artists
Superhero – choose a character from the book and turn them into a superhero.
Cover challenge – Imagine the book has no cover, design the book cover.
For the Writers
Origin Story – Write an origin story for one or more of the books characters.
This was a fun blog to research and I hope it gave you some cool ideas for activities, and I hope even more that it may have stopped you from going a little mad. If you have any other activity ideas please feel free to add them to the bottom of the post you never know, you may have the ideal solution for someone else.
[image error] Looking for some good kids reads – try here for a great range
Where I looked – there are some more great ideas here, so please visit.
2nd grade fun reading activities
23 Fun reading Activities for kids
https://www.literacyideas.com/reading-activities-for-any-book
July 18, 2020
Listen … Do You Want to Hear a Secret
Like many people, recent events around the world have has changed the way I think about things, and in a lot of ways has changed the way I think full stop. In fact my mind has been whirring so much the activities I usually do to calm myself stopped working, until I found a solution—audio books!
My intake of audio books has doubled over the last few months, and I thought I would share some of my favourites with you. I think I have said in the past that choosing the audio book option means you not only have to be captured by the story, but the narrater must also connect with you. I recommend always checking a sample before buying. If you don’t like my favourite reads in audiobook format I encourage you to buy the books instead.
Fall of the Gas-lit Empire by Rod Duncan
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By now you will have realised I am a sucker for a kick-ass female heroine and an amazing new world, and in this series Rod Duncan has managed to capture both. In a victorian-style world that sees women as possessions, Elizabeth Barnabus lives a double life. She is herself, but also takes on the guise of her own brother to make a living as a detective and thus remain independent.
Everything is going well until she takes on the case of an aristocrat who has disappeared. In her attempts to resolve the mystery she must face her own past as well as the Patent Court, the most feared body in the land, placing herself in extreme danger.
Elizabeth is a strong, resourceful, well rounded character who you will find yourself willing to come out on top. The other characters you meet as this story unfolds are equally compelling and interesting. The England they live in is both recognisable, but completely different, not the least because the development of all machinery is strictly controlled by the Patent Court.
To top it off Gemma Whelan, the narrator does a great job in moving the story along and keeping the listener interested. If you enjoying losing yourself in another world, or simply like a good mystery, then I recommend this series to teens, young adults and adults.
Buy The Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire: The Complete Series from Amazon[image error]
The Night Raven by Sarah Painter
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My next two books are set in modern day London, but show a side of London you may never have encountered. When she was young Lydia’s father left the family business so he could raise his daughter in the suburbs. Not a bad choice given the family business did not always operate not he right side of the law, and were happy enough to use their unique powers to assist in their activities.
Without powers of her own, a grown up Lydia has escaped to Scotland, only to be forced home when her work as a private investigator placed her in a difficult situation. Her uncle offers her a flat free of rent, well not quite free because he wants her to help find a missing cousin. Trying to lay low, avoid the family business and deal with a rather interesting flat-mate, Lydia finds herself slowly drawn into the world her parents tried to keep her from.
I bought this audio book in one of audibles frequent 2 for 1 sales as the second option simply because I loved listening to the narrator Kate Rawson. I have now listened to all three books in the series and have the fourth on pre-order. The Night Raven is fast paced, the characters interesting and believable. In spite of the introduction of magic and powers to modern day London each book in the series presents a good old mystery story with all its wrong turns and dead ends.
Crow Investigations is a good mystery series, an a fun read/listen, but what makes it stand out for me is you are taken on Lydia’s journey. While investigating her mysteries she reconnects with members of her family, attempts to reconcile their business activity with her growing affection for a member of the police force, as well as dealing with some unsettlingly abilities that come come to light. This book is definitely for oder teens and young adults, and people who love Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series will enjoy these books.
Buy The Night Raven: Crow Investigations, Book 1 from Amazon[image error]
London Falling by Paul Cornell
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I blame my enjoyment of the Ben Aaronvich’s River’s of London Series for choosing to start The Shadow Police series. Like those books we are introduced to a force of people dealing with the magical and mystical side of London’s inhabitants. It all starts with a suspect who mysteriously dies in custody having been brought in at the end of a long running undercover sting.
Two of the undercover agents, the analyst assigned to the operation, and a Detective Inspector are tasked with looking into the death. By applying traditional police methods they uncover supernatural forces at work that require more to bring them to justice than they have to offer. Facing what appear to be unsurmountable odds, they must stop this force before more deaths occur.
This is a gritty series, something of a cross between The Rivers of London and a Guy Ritchie movie. The team, Quill, Ross, Sefton and Costain are all flawed and searching for something missing in their lives, yet together they make the perfect unit for investigating surreal happenings. The London they find themselves working in is scary and at the same time fascinating, and it will test their resolve to bring their suspects to justice.
Damien Lynch narrates the whole series and really brings the characters to life. Each book in the series can be read on its own, but together they form an overarching story about policing the supernatural in London. they only down side to getting hooked on this series is only three of the five book series have been published, and there is not date for the last two books to be released. This series is definitely for Young Adults only, and is worth a read for those who enjoy the grittier side of supernatural crime solving.
Buy London Falling: The Shadow Police, Book One from Amazon[image error]
[image error] Looking for a new read, why not try here
June 27, 2020
Fantastic Fantasy
I review a number of fantasy books, and many of you are probably bored by them now, but in the Covid-19 times we are living in escaping into a completely different world has been a life saver. This week I have a couple of fantastic series starters for you, and the return of a favourite to delve right into that will spirit you away from your everyday woes.
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The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
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It seems like I have been waiting for ever for Suzanne Collin to revisit the world of the Hunger Games. It was this series that got me hooked on my kindle. On a trip home I loaded Hunger Games as my first ever e-book. I spent a sleepless week week reading the whole series. When I finished on at night I simply downloaded the next.
That was such a long time ago, but I can tell you The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes was well worth the wait! I know a lot of reviewers think it was a snooze-fest, but I simply couldn’t put it down.
In her new book Suzanne Collins takes up back to meet an eighteen year old Corolanus Snow, already formed by his station in society and the deprivations of the uprising that resulted in the Hunger Games being established—only these Hunger Games are nothing like the one we are used to. They are raw and brutal and are purely a punishment for the districts.
Not as action packed as the original books, The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes takes us on Snow’s journey as he attempts to carve a place in a world that has already written him and his destitute family off, and we find that it is not only in the arena of the games that people are prepared to do anything to survive. For me President Snow was always one of the most interesting figures of the first three books. Although clearly the villain in the Hunger Games series, he was a complex one, and he is no less so as the hero.
One of the oddest things about this book is that I loved it, but I didn’t like any of the main characters, or many of the people in the book as a whole. I understood Snow, but never really liked him. His candidate in the Hunger Games, well, let’s just say they deserved each other. Tigris, Snow’s cousin, and Sejanus, his school mate, were the only people who any soul in the whole story, and they served as a great counterpoint to the other characters.
People appear to either love or hate this one. I am in the love camp. Where will you fall?
Buy The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes from Amazon.
Memory’s Wake by S.A. Fenech
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Memories wake was a different kettle of fish all together. I was drawn to all four of the main characters, but Memory herself was my favourite. Waking up in a strange world, Memory, who took her name because she has no memory, finds herself embroiled in a plot to restore order in a world she isn’t even from.
Alone in a forest with no idea where she is, Memory is rescued by a girl on the run. She promises to take them to sanctuary, but they get a little waylaid. Falling in with a charming pickpocket, and helped occasionally by a strange wild boy, they dodge; men that hunt magic users, faeries who mean them harm and dragons, who seem intent on keeping them from getting to their destination.
S.A. Fenech has created a fantastical world of magic, fairies and magical beasts, and a plot twist that will have you spinning, but will seem so logical after you stumble across it.
Fantasy readers who love kick-ass girl heroes, magic and a touch of romance will enjoy getting lost Memory’s Wake. I enjoyed it so much, book two is already queued on my kindle.
King of Ashes by Raymond E. Feist
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If I had a fantasy super-hero it would be Raymond E. Feist. From Daughter of the Empire to Riftwar series, I have loved most of his work.
When the First Book in the Firemane Saga came out I bought it, but only recently got round to reading it. I was initially reluctant because the book didn’t get good reviews, and it was a new world and a new plot.
Silly me for listening to others. Even though this is not his best writing, Feist at mediocre (and this book is far from mediocre) is still streets ahead of we mere mortals. And I loved the new world of Garn and the new characters he introduced. And let’s face it, a missing heir, a master swords smith and world on the brink of a religious war—it’s a great idea.
I really enjoyed the way Feist wove religion and politics into the story while following our two hero’s Declan the Sword Master and Hatu the spy assassin until they finally met. Another plus for me was the strong cast of female in this book.
Ok, not Feist at his absolute best, but book two is already downloaded and ready to go. Anyone who loves traditional fantasy adventure will enjoy this read.
Looking for some more great fantasy reads?
[image error]Your next favourite read might just be here
May 23, 2020
Away with the Faery … Tales
Apologies, it has been a while since my last post. With a worldwide epidemic I, like many others, have retreated to my family bubbles and have not really dared to peek out much. Good news is all this time has given me a chance to read book—lots of books. So there will me quite a number of reviews over the next few weeks.
Like many, I have not wanted to spend time in reality, so I dipped into a couple of new faery tale releases from two Australian authors. Although they both fit into the faery tale genre, they are two very different offerings. The first is an original Australian fairytale, and the second is a retelling—dare I even say improvement— of Snow White.
The Swan Maiden by Serene Conneeley
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I really did not know what to expect when I decided to read a modern day faery tale, but I loved the idea of it being set in my adoptive home—Australia—and decided to give it a go. Right from the first moment when the swan started telling of her relationship with a young girl I was caught hook, line and sinker.
The Swan Maiden is a story about love in all its forms, and its ability to heal, to transform and to enrich life. Told through the eyes of Signet, and following the swan mother’s relationship with a young girl she meets in a park we are swept into a modern day world where magic still exists and love can still save us.
A faery tale is defined at literaryterms.net as a fanciful wondrous story with magical elements that spark imagination and where we can experience thinks in our mind before we experience them in the real world. In her beautifully told tale, Serene Conneeley takes us out of time and challenges our imagination with real world problems, and her tale is definitely wondrous. Not only that, but she managed to take me back to my time in Ireland when I fell in love with Irish Faery Tales, and for that alone I would have loved this book.
When I started reading I felt this book would be great for that hard to buy for age—the tweens, and I have to say it is a perfect story for them. But like all good children’s book, this story has another whole level that will be enjoyed by adults who still love a good faery tale and by romantics of all ages
Buy the Swan Maiden at The Bookdepository
Chasing Neve by K.A.Last
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I am not a fairy princess girl—never have been, never will be. So it won’t come as no shock to you that Snow White was one of those stories that never appealed to me as a child. Still, I like K.A Last as an author, so I decided to give her re-telling of Chasing Neve a whirl.
I could be flip and say this book is nothing like the Snow White of my childhood, and to a certain extent that would be correct—but it would also be untrue. Chasing Never has; an orphan girl, a wicked step mother, a magic mirror, a huntsmen, an apple and even the dwarves are there—sort of. There the similarities end.
Snow White—or Neve as she is in this book—is not waiting for anyone to rescue her and get rid of her step-mother. No, she is quite prepared to do that herself, even if that means going on an adventure through magical lands to get what she needs to save her country and her people—even if that means facing a dragon.
There are still enough of the elements of the original story to keep Snow White fans happy, and there may even be a little romance, but the happy ever after is a little different, and Neve is a kick-ass heroine.
Early teens and above who love the retellings of faery tales should definitely add this to their shelves, but fantasy readers who love a strong female facing adversity will also enjoy this read.
March 13, 2020
Tween Books to Wile Away the Hours
A week at home with a cold with my son and husband gave me an appreciation for what quarantined families are feeling, especially with many schools closing. Perhaps the most difficult age groups to keep amused are our tweens. I may have some ideas for those bored 8-13 year olds.
In Search of Watson (Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars #3) by Tracy Mack and Michael Citrin
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I enjoy stocking The Bookbubble store because I get to spend time browsing books. I often end up buying stories I want to read myself, but of course there are so many books and so little time.
I picked up In Search of Watson quite some time ago thinking what’s not to like about this book—I mean what a great twist on Sherlock Holmes, cases seen through the eyes of the street urchins who helped him solve cases? Still, it kept moving tot he bottom of my reading pile, perhaps because it is written for the tween (8-13) market, and these books are often not as big a juicy as YA books, or as entertaining as picture books.
This week I had a cold, and in the Coronavirus world we live in at the moment I kept myself away from work. Bored, and with a stinking headache this was the perfect read. As I curled up on the sofa with my book I kept asking myself why I had waited for so long to read it.
Not only is there a great story-line—death and a missing diary lead to a race to find ancient treasure under the streets of London—but then Dr Watson is kidnapped. Asked to find the good Doctor by Sherlock Holmes, the Baker Street irregulars are thwarted at every turn by another gang, and it seems they have a traitor in their midst.
There are also great characters; Pilar who is trying to gain acceptance into he group, Ozzie who is looking for his father and Wiggins who leads the Irregulars. All your favourite Sherlock Holmes characters are there too; Sherlock himself, Dr Watson and, of course, Moriarty.
The story line is fast paced and full of adventurous turns, the characters are engaging and the twist at the end is well hidden. There are cyphers and history and all wrapped in a book that children and adults will enjoy. I started at book three, but will be looking for the rest of the books in this series—well done Mack and Citrin.
A bonus if you are stuck at home, this books has end matter including details on how to make a simple cypher, and a little bit of history that could be turned into activities for your bored tweens.
Buy the Baker Street Irregular Series from Bookdepository
The Merlin Conspiracy by Diana Wynne Jones
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Walking the dog is a great way for me to unwind. I used to listen to music as I walked, but I’ve recently rediscovered the power of audiobooks. Having used all my audible credits I was searching in the library for something to read and I stumbled across a book I bought for Sam when he was sick and bored at home. At the time he had an obsession with King Arthur and Merlin, he loved listening to the How to Train your Dragon books read by David Tennant and so with the Merlin Conspiracy I was onto a winner—for him.
I knew this would be an easy book to listen to as Amelia Fox joined David Tennant narrating the story, but what surprised me was how good the book was.
Amelia Fox was Arianrhrod, a young witch travelling with the King’s Progress renewing the magic in Blessed—a different version of Britain. David Tennant took on the role of Nick, a boy from another version of earth, wishing to be a great mage and, as we all know, you should be careful what you wish for.
Arianrhrod and her friend stumble upon a plot to altar magic in the Blessed Isles. In an effort to foil it the two end up travelling around the Isle getting helped and hindered by some very interesting magical talents. On their journey they stumble on the Dark Roads, where they find Nick, who is destined to help them in their quest.
Along the way they meet fantastical witches and wizards, they learn more about the magical world around them, and the multi-worlds—and perhaps even a little more about themselves.
Diana Wynne Jones’s world in The Merilyn Conspiracy is enchanting and engrossing. Children and adults alike who love books about magic would love the unique world she creates for her characters. And I am guessing the written book will appeal to tweens, who are already Harry Potter and Morrigan Crow fans.
While reading the book out loud could be a great family activity, you could also give the audio book a go, it is definitely worth it!
Buy The Merlin Conspiracy from Bookdepository
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February 28, 2020
Adult Reads for Young Adults
I used to read Leon Uris books when I was at High School. Anyone who has read one of his books knows the content would definitely not be described as Young Adult friendly in today’s market.
While I am not advocating all teenagers read adult books, there are some who are mature enough to deal with adult themes. In today’s blog I have two offerings I think might be of interest to the more mature teenagers.
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs series was my obsession over the Christmas break. Set in post-WWI England, our heroine is found setting up her own private investigation agency. Her first case starts out as a typical case of infidelity, but turns into something much more as Maisie ends up investigating The Retreat – a place where soldiers disfigured by the war can live in peace.
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I love a good cosy mystery, and the Maisie Dobbs books are great examples of the genre. What sets them apart is the way Maisie approaches her investigations. Although she has forensic training suitable to the times, she also studied psychology and meditation, and this gives her a unique way of dealing with the situations she finds herself in.
Another thing setting these books apart is Maisie is representative of the between-wars women in Britain. Having carried out important work during the first world war while men fought, they are now again expected to return to the role of wife and mother – inspite of the fact many will never find a partner and are more than capable of working outside of the home.
The final thing giving these books a unique perspective is Maisie’s ability to span social classes, and at the same time comment on the British class system. In the first book of the series this is an integral theme as we not only work on solving the mystery, but also learn of how Maisie moved from serving girl to investigator.
While having its own unique perspective, like other books in this genre it had a strong story line and unique characters. Billie, Maisie’s assistant, and Frankie Dobbs, her father, are two of my favourites. And then there is the best friend, Priscilla – to avoid spoilers, that is all I will say about her.
Why do I think mature young adults will love these books? There appear to be a number of books around about the great wars at the moment, and I think this series in particular deals with a lot of the history and social change at the time, without being heavy handed. Many of the barriers Maisie faces are the same ones we face today, and I believe many girls will enjoy how she over-comes them, and cheer her on. But really, I think they will like them because they are good stories.
Mini-spoiler, and a word of warning – Maisie was a nurse in the war the book talks openly about trench warfare and the mental and physical wounds all those involved in the war came home with. Because of this I only recommend it for Young Adults who are able to cope with reading about this. If in doubt, please read the book first.
Buy Maisie Dobbs from The Book Depository
Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
by reviewer Sam
Altered Carbon is a sci-fi mystery novel written by Richard Morgan.
In the year 2384 death is no longer a problem for the human race as the human consciousness can be transported from body to body via a device called a stack. An envoy (extreme military group) Takeshi Kovachs is woken up 200 years after his death and is hired to solve the murder of a billionaire.
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Altered Carbon, although a long book, is a startling journey through a dystopian cityscape and down rabbit hole after rabbit hole of leads and revenge. The story is told by Takeshi, who I really like because of his cynical outlook on life and his sheer badassery.
I wanted to read this book because I saw the trailer for the Netflix show and through it looked interesting so my mother bought me the book and I read it for about a month and it was all I read, now you might be thinking that’s not really something to note but for me it is because I usually read five to ten books at a time now I don’t know why exactly it caught my attention I think it was the combination of sci-fi and mystery that caught my eye and I enjoyed it.
Altered Carbon is a good book because it moves the story along slowly and then just speeds up nearing the end as as it moves to the conclusion.
I would recommend this book for ages 14 and over as most of the content is for older audiences. There are themes in the book that I would not recommend for children maybe less mature 13 to 14 year olds. It has two graphic descriptive sex scenes and there is some graphic violence. I generally skip over these when I am reading. None of this really detracts from the story but the sex doesn’t add to it. On another slight change there are some more mature themes like the morals of resleeveing and a few others situations dotted throughout the book.
Buy Altered Carbon from The Book Depository
[image error] Love Kindle? Love YA Fantasy? Check these out? Promo is for March 2020
February 21, 2020
Back from the Holidays
After a long break I am back from holidays and am rearing to go with some reviews, but not this week – this week I wanted to do a little planning and preparing, and give you some idea of what I will be reading and reviewing this year.
I am going to try and be very good this year and record my reading choices on my goodreads page, which I am hoping you can see from here. I hope this works. I will then endeavour to update goodreads with my reviews as well.
If you have any book review ideas please drop a line at the bottom of this post. I will consider almost everything suitable for children and YA readers.
My Holiday Reading
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Over the break I took some time to read some amazing books, but I have to admit they were mostly adult ones. While I was reading I wondered why we make the distinction between Young Adult and Adult Books since many of us read both? I realised it is perhaps the more adult themes that younger readers may not understand, and they certainly do not like direct references to sex. In spite of realising this, this year I am going to include a few more adult books younger people may enjoy, although I will bear in mind their dislikes.
I already have the Maisie Dobbs series on my list of books to read. I have indulged myself reading a lot of these books, but I still have a few to go. I think Young Adult readers will enjoy these inter-war year mysteries.
There will be Fantasy
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Of course there will be YA Fantasy. I love this genre, I write in this genre, and I want to excite more people about the books available in the Fantasy realm. There are already a few on my reading list, some that have not even been published yet! I mean who is not excited about The Ballard of Songbirds and Snakes? I cannot wait to get back to the world of the Hunger Games.
Of Course Picture Books are a Must
Reading begins with great picture books, and carried on with books that inspire and engage. Over the last year I have not done much work in this category, but I am going to scour the libraries and bookshops and online bookshops for some gems.
A Personal Challenge
Over the holidays I went and saw Jojo Rabbit with reviewer Sam, and it reminded me books are a great way to revisit history. This year I want to review some books that challenge us to look at history and understand differences, and at least one of these will be non-fiction.
A Bonus
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This year I have challenged reviewer Sam to provide one book review a month from the viewpoint of a teenage boy. He has not been reading as many books since he started high school, so I am interested to see what he will choose to read and share this year.
My Target
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I have set my target in goodreads to read (and hopefully review) 52 books. Of course, because I never share a bad review, you will only see the good books here.
I have also set myself a few other targets to pull me out of my comfort zone, and give you a better variety to read about. I will also pepper the year with some blogs about reading, or where to find books, or just some general thoughts on children’s books.
Hope you enjoy 2020, and our first reviews, which will be out next week.
December 7, 2019
Books for Christmas
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Since I started my book blog I have done a Top Ten for Christmas. I am running a little later this year so I have gone with books you should be able to buy at any bookshop. For each category I am choosing one book I have reviewed and loved along with another I chose off the shelf of a bookshop as if I were buying a gift (as with all good book gifts I have had a read before passing it on).
I am concentrating three categories – Picture Books, Tweens and Young Adults, with a bonus choice from reviewer Sam to give us an insight into that hard-to-buy-for-group.
Picture Books
The Dinkey Donkey by Craig Smith and Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
A couple of weeks ago I asked reviewer Sam what books he remembered from his childhood, and his immediate response was Where the Wild Things Are. This tale of the naughty child running wild who in the end returns home to his family is loved by all children, and is a great, timeless gift for Christmas.
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When searching the bookstore for a new Christmas gift I could not go past The Dinkey Donkey. I loved the Wonkey Donkey and its silly sounding rhymes, and we still quote bits from it every now and then. Now we can update our stale sayings with the extremely loveable Dinkey Donkey, who is a more than just a pretty face. Not only does this book have the same rhyming build up as the original, but it teaches children to look past the cute donkey to see all that she is. This is a must for children of all ages.
Books for Tweens
The Girl The Dog and the Writer in Rome by Katrina Nannestad and The Golden Unicorn by Anh Do
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When I first reviewed Katrina Nannestad’s book about a young girl solving a mystery in the streets of Rome I was captivated. If I were buying a book for a tween this would still be my recommendation because it is funny, has a great plot and lovely characters. It is children’s writing at its best. Since Rome, Freja has travelled to Provence and Lucerne and continued her adventures. Plenty of gift giving options with this series.
I picked up Ahn Do’s Unicorn because it looked like such a departure from his previous books, and it is. Right from the first chapter you are taken into a new world created by the villainous Soul Collector, and once you are in there it is hard to get out. The language and writing is great for tweens, and Chris Wahl’s illustrations make this book accessible for your older reluctant readers, and also for advanced early readers. However, it is the story that carries this book, and once your reader is finished you will be pleased to find book two in the series is already out.
Young Adults
Passenger by Alexander Bracken and The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy by Mackenzie Lee
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There are many great titles I could have chosen for this section, but because we are so close to Christmas I have gone with books you can buy off the self. When you have your readers have their Christmas dollars I hope you will look at some of the reviews I have done of independently published books and give some of them a chance. I also have a link to some free reads below.
However, as the time to Christmas draws closer I have gone with two off the shelf books with an historic twist for young adult readers. And yes, perhaps they lend towards the female readers, but I think Sam may have taken care of the boys in the next section.
Passenger is a great book that takes the reader through time with the lead character Victoria as she finds she suddenly finds she is enmeshed in a war between factions of time travellers. This is a great, fast paced story, which continues in Wayfarer, the second book in the series (fortunately for avid readers). The characters are strong, likeable and flawed. The jumps through history give this book a twist I love, and it is a great read for all those romantics out there.
The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy was a surprise for me. I loved the title, and so picked it up to read the first chapter. I know reason says you should not choose books this way, but sometimes it works. I couldn’t put it down once I started, in fact I would have finished it there and then in the shop if I had not bee pulled away. Our main character Felicity is not your common eighteenth century female. She is focussed on becoming a doctor in a work who sees other roles for her. As she follows her dreams she is thrown into adventure and learns the true meaning of friendship. This book is a great great for lovers of; history, strong female leads; adventure and a good story.
Teenage and Young Adult Boys
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and Scythe by Neal Shusterman
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Boys are notoriously difficult to buy for, so I have a special section for them, written by reviewer Sam, who has shared two books I have seen him read more than once this year.
Hello fellow readers today I would like to tell you about two books I believe you should buy for the holidays.
Ready Player One is a book about a future where humanity lives in a virtual world called the oasis. This world is full of 80s pop-culture and different places to explore but when the death of it’s creator arrives a secret is revealed, that hidden in the oasis is an easter egg that will give whoever finds it complete control of the oasis and 3 trillion US dollars. You follow the story of Wade Watts as he hunts for the egg. I would recommend this book for ages 13 to 18.
Scythe is a book about a futuristic world in which death is no longer a problem, overpopulation however has become an extremely apparent side effect of a world without death so the scythes were formed they kill people based off charts from when humans would die. This story follows scythe apprentices Rowan and citra through their journey of becoming a scythe. I would recommend this book for ages 12 to 16.
Happy Christmas shopping, and happy holiday reading form all of us at The Bookbubble. Hope to see you in January when I will share my Christmas Holiday reads.
[image error] Looking for Some Free Reads for Christmas – look no further
November 8, 2019
Love a Great Female Lead?
After my binge on Cosy Mysteries last month, this month I indulged myself by reading two books I brought some time ago, and in the middle I was sidetracked by a series I picked up from a newsletter promo.
At first glance it looks as though it was all over the place with my reading, but there was a real theme running through my books – the leads were strong girls/women. That is not so say these books will only appeal to girls, because boys will enjoy them too, but I have to say it is refreshing to have females taking the lead for a change.
The Secret Runners of New York by Matthew Riley
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Matthew Riley is known for his fast paced adventure novels, and The Secret Runners of New York is no exception. Although this book starts out as a typical teen novel about newbies fitting in, it quickly turns into something very different.
When Skye and her brother Red are sent to New York to live with their mother and her new, wealthy husband they are thrown into a world where Sky struggles to fit. Not only does she have to navigate her way through the social etiquette of a new school, but there is a doomsday prophecy saying the world will end, and her brother tells her of a secret tunnel he and his new friends have been visiting.
This book started slowly for me, but about a third of the way through I found it difficult to put down – I just had to know what happened. Although all the characters in this books are believable and compelling, it was Skye I was drawn to as she struggled between needing to be accepted and doing the right thing.
With dystopian fiction I normally recommend them only for people who enjoy that genre, but in this instance I think anyone that loves reading about teen relationships will also enjoy this novel. It goes straight onto my highly recommended list.
The Single Ladies of The Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell
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Many of you may be thinking this is an odd choice for a review dealing with books for children and young adults, but there is a method to my madness.
I think sometimes we pidgeon hole reading material, and leave things out people might really enjoy. The Single Ladies of the Jacaranda Retirement Village is one of those books, and I think there are many young adult readers that will love this book.
Joanna Nell’s heroine, Peggy is at the tail end of her life, but funnily enough she is facing some of the same issues teenagers face. After the death of her husband she is not sure how to go about gaining the attentions of the man who has caught her eye, nor is she quite sure where she fits in or how she fits in in her new home int he retirement village. Most of all though, she is not sure who Peggy Smart is without her role as wife and mother.
This funny, captivating story is full of brilliant characters, has some twists and turns in the plot that you just do not see, and reminds us that many of the problems we face as young adults stay with us throughout life. This is a book I am recommending to everyone I meet, no matter their age.
The Arc Series by Alexandra Moody
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You will notice below I have a link to another promotion of Young Adult Books, and I have to admit I have been picking up a lot of my reading material from these of late. I guess it is a lazy way to find material I like reading because it is so convenient.
Once book I chose was Tainted by Alexandra Moody. Once again this book started slow for me, but half-way through I was completely hooked, and I then read the rest of the series one book after the other (gotta love e-readers).
Orphan Elle lives in the Arc, an underground facility where survivors of an asteroid hit live. While negotiating High School her biggest fear is she will loose her friends as a result of the annual tests. Fear of an infection running through the facility means anyone caught with the virus during their test is removed, never to be seen again. When one of her friends is taken, how far will she go to find out what is really going on?
The world Alexandra Moody has created is intricate, amazing and fresh. I loved her characters, and I loved Elle, who shows what and ordinary girl in an extreme situation is capable of. She is the hero inside of us all.
For dystopian readers, this series will be difficult to put down, I certainly think the story line and characters in Tainted make this book worth a read for those brave enough to try something new.
[image error]https://books.bookfunnel.com/kuscififantasypromo/1j6mgrlxaa
