David Stringer's Blog, page 4

Goodreads Reading Challenge – 67% complete

Well it’s the end of July, and I’ve read two more books, one of which has to be one of my favourite books of all time.  So, what are they? How is my yearly reading challenge going? Well, my yearly progress is still good, I’m still 4 books ahead of schedule and now 67% of my target completed.

 

Book number 29: Total Chaos by Jean-Claude Izzo

Jean-Claude Izzo is a completely new writer to me, one I’ve not heard of or come across before (almost feel embarrassed by that) and one I feel like I should of. This is the first of three famous Marseilles trilogy books, I understand, which I am now on the look out to continue reading. It conveys the atmosphere of the Marseilles area amazingly, I imagine, along with all the political and social unrest, its mix of immigrants, criminals, economic problems, racial tensions, corruption, and its sights, sounds, smells and food! I gather the author was into his food, as some of the book read as a recipe book! Which isn’t a complaint, I quite liked it.

So yes, I read this slowly, I enjoyed it. Didn’t rush it like drinking a good wine! In a fancy café in Marseille’s! If this is what is classed as Noir, then I’ve found a genre I love.

So faults, what can I pull this book/story down for. Well, I’m going to harshly say that this isn’t a massively original story line. Three young guys grow up together, eventually as friends, from the hard streets of Marseilles. Our hero Fabio straightens up and ends up as a cop, his two school time friends don’t are more on the wrong side of the law, petty stuff, and he comes back to Marseille after some incidents leave his childhood friends (spoiler alert) dead. He comes back to find out and solve what happened, while also reliving his childhood.

This book spoke to me, I felt there where lessons in life hidden in the pages (I’m sounding a bit heavy here I know) but it did, felt I was learning while reading. So a well written book , which is more then just a crime story, it’s about a city.

Five stars from me!

Book number 30: Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimura

This is smallish yet engrossing historical fiction book about a small, poor, desolate Japanese village and it’s struggles to survive the weather and lack of food. The story follows a young 9 year old, Isaku, who is now charged with looking after his family (mother, and younger brother and sister) as there father has sold himself into bondage for two years to earn the family/village some much needed money.

So our young lead has to quickly learn how to grow up, fish and protect his family and others in the village as lack of supplies threatens all. He also learns some dark mysteries about the village and how they come about gaining some much needed resources from the gods and the seas.

This is quite a dark, almost depressing story about the toils and struggles of this poor village and it’s folk, with a bit of a horror like ending as things take a nasty, unfortunate turn towards the end. Maybe not a book for everyone, but I pretty much enjoyed it.

4 stars out of 5.

 

 

 

 

Goodreads Reading Challenge – 62% Done.

 

It’s now early July, must be pretty much at the half way mark of the year, so how am I doing.  Well, I personally feel I’ve slowed down a bit with my reading over the last few weeks, but as per good old Goodreads I’m still 4-5 books ahead of schedule!

So what have I read since my last blog?

Book #27 – Bound by Birthright by Janeal Falor

First off I really like the front cover, this did capture my attention and secondly the premise of the book is interesting. An elven princess needing to marry a human Prince for the good of her people! Who due to an assassination attempt is forced to go into hiding. (no more potential spoilers to be added) and adventures then follow.

So the first chapter or so seem good. But then, something goes wrong, and I’m not sure if it’s the writing style or an overzealous editor trying to keep the word count down, I don’t know? But things happen quickly, too quickly, and feels a tad rushed. For example when the pirate captain enters the story he isn’t really introduced to us readers, in my opinion, properly! Half way through a conversation with the recently arrived pirates it suddenly states…`says Captain Smythe`..and your left thinking, who’s that? His name isn’t mentioned before, we’ve not been introduced, so your left assuming that most be the name of the pirate captain.

So the rushed style switched me off, as well as not liking the main character in the slightest! A spoilt princess who is quite nonchalant about things, who then suddenly and a little out of character I felt, falls for a commoner human.  I don’t know. Kind of a nice idea of a story, but never had me gripped.

1 star out of 5

Book #28 – Clinch by Martin Holmen

This is a gritty, dark, no holds barred Noir crime thriller set in 1930’s Stockholm. The lead…I hesitate to say hero, or even anti-hero…is Harry Kvist. Ex boxer now dodgy debt collector that uses harsh, brutal tactics to reclaim monies owed, get’s caught up in a murder investigation where he becomes an obvious suspect. The story then evolves around him trying to clear his name and find out what happened and who actually caused the crime.

I enjoyed this story, and writing style a lot! Very different to anything I’ve read before or in a long time and I’m definitely intrigued to buy and read the planned future instalments of this series. Why four stars and not five? Because my sensitives kicked in a little at times with the sex scenes and some of the nastiness of our anti-hero which, although just part of the character, seemed unnecessary and put me off liking him. And I like to route or care for the hero/lead and found I didn’t because of some of his actions, that been said, the story, writing, setting the scene and description’s are great! and I read the book completely engrossed and entertained!

Good work author.

Right then, now the fun bit…picking my next book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Goodreads Reading Challenge – June 2016

So it’s the beginning of June.  Beginning of Summer and the beginning of a new stage in my career in the health service as I change hospital from the QMC to the Nottingham City Campus hospital.

So, with all that put to one side, how has my reading and my reading challenge being getting on.  Well, I’ve now completed 58% of my target!  And what have I consumed, reading wise, since my last blog?

Book #25 – Nightblade by Ryan Kirk

I’ve wavered about whether to give this book 2 or 3 stars, and I’ve been kind and given it three.

Why three. Well, I did on the whole enjoy this book. It is well written and flows well, although at times I found it slow with battle scenes being more about the characters thoughts and understandings then the actual physical side of combat. Which at times was a nice change from the norm, after a while grew tiresome. I also liked the three main characters and did buy into them (care about them!) which I feel is a sign of a job welldone by the author.

The downside to me, and the dropped stars, is that this is not an original storyline at all! A orphaned boy, with special powers he doesn’t know he has, is discovered by a reclusive warrior who takes him under his wing and trains him up. Yawn! Who then goes on to battle bad guys.

I also wonder if the pace was a little slowish, in that, at times I felt it a slog to keep going and also found that I was never in a rush to get back to reading to find out what happened next. So overall, a nice fantasy story with an eastern flavour to it, but nothing original or gripping really going on.

Book #26 – Who Really Wrote Shakespeare by D-Lawrence-Young

If your into Mr William Shakespeare stories and sonnets etc. and your also into the detective mystery solving genre then you will enjoy this read. This book looks into an argument and theory around whether William Shakespeare really did write all of his works, or was it in fact…someone else?

The story follows a professor (Daniel) who teaches Shakespeare, two of his work colleagues, Daniels Wife and his students/class all get involved in researching possible theories about who wrote Shakespeare’s work if in fact it wasn’t him.

Overall, although an enjoyable and surprisingly easy read, it did not really hold my interest at all, a lot of the story or chapters etc. all felt a little samey to me and think I struggled to connect with the main characters (well to do teachers). But a nice, little educational and kind of interesting read.  Two stars out of five.

 

 

Goodreads Challenge – 53% done.

As we approach the end of May 2016 my reading challenge is progressing nicely.  I have joined a reviewing website ‘NetGalley’ who now provide me with books to review on behalf of some publishers.  So my new reading, blogging and reviewing hobby expands![image error]

So what have I read and reviewed since my last blog?

 

Of Bone and Thunder by Chris Evans.

I’ve finished this book with some mixed feelings and must admit, with a bit of a forced push to get over the finishing line (last page). I think if I’m honest, I never really got ‘into it’, but struggling at the minute to put my finger on why.

As with many books in the fantasy genre, and something that often switches me off, this story has numerous amounts of strangely named characters and places, which I just couldn’t keep track of and subsequently left me lost and confused, resulting in me…well…losing interest! I would also have liked to have had the Dragons involved a lot more, they are definitely peripheral, and what with the beautiful front cover showing Dragons I would of expected a lot more of and from them.

However the book is well written, and the author does a great job of making you feel that you are right there with the band of soldiers. Feeling their frustrations of being in a pointless war, in a hostile foreign land with sweltering heat, dirt and unseen hidden dangers and enemies.

So overall a nice idea of a book, which doesn’t quite grip you at any point. 2 out of 5 stars.

 

The Witch who came in from the Cold – Series of Authors.

I’ve not read a series of individually written episodes for a story before, so was unsure how this would work and if I would enjoy it. Authors tend to have different writing styles etc., and I worried the switch from one to the other would not help with the flow of the book. But I’m pleased to say this transition from one chapter to the other did seem pretty seamless.

This book is an enjoyable and engrossing espionage, cat and mouse style thriller with the added mix of magic sprinkled on top to appeal to my more geeky side! We not only have the CIA and KGB, east Vs west fighting a covert war of secrets and deception in the cold, wintry streets of Prague, we also have another more hidden secret war going on, one involving magic, wizards and witches in which allies in one war could well be enemies in another more secret war.

I don’t read a lot of spy, espionage type thrillers but rate this alongside one of my all time favourite books ‘The Jackal’ by Frederick Forsyth. Really enjoyed reading both sides of a story, running alongside each other, and how you find yourself routing, bizarrely, for both sides!

Recommended! 5 out of 5 stars.

 

 

 

 

Goodreads Reading Challenge – 49%

Almost half way through my reading challenge! So what have I read since my last update?

 

Well, after my marathon of Robert Fabbri Historical fiction books, I jumped genre to that of fantasy fiction, starting with:

Book #21 The Age of Odin – by James Lovegrove

I bought this book as liked the idea behind it, and it did seem to have a lot of good reviews on various websites, all about a down on his luck, out of work, injured ex-soldier stumbling into finding and joining the Norse gods battle a war. With Odin and Thor etc. all in the mix, so I thought yeah, this should be good.

Then disappointment sets in almost straight away. The main character ‘Gid’ I can’t stand. Too much of a ‘Lad’ with his drinking, fighting, letching and constant swearing. A conversation early on with his friend is littered with, I felt, unnecessary swearing! Don’t believe I’m too sensitive, but it put me right off.

Then this out of work, already previously injured and to be fair loser becomes an overnight hero and tactical genius. Early on when he first meets and fights Thor for example, although already half deaf from previous injuries, he has recently just survived a car crash, been caught in a violent snow storm and already savagely attacked and wounded by a pack of wild wolves manages to then best Thor, the mighty Thor!, with a stick. Mmmmmmmm?

So no, I really didn’t enjoy this book, skipped pages towards the end in a hurry to end the book.  1 star out of 5.

Book #22 – The Builders by Daniel Polansky

This is a short story about a group of warrior animals, brought back together after a big war to get some revenge. Definitely reminded me of the book ‘Redwall’ who then meets the film ‘The Dirty Dozen’. The front cover art work is amazing and really caught my eye, I enjoyed this book and do wish it was a little longer!

The first half of the book introduces us to the numerous characters in the story, which although I enjoyed, felt a lot of time was spent developing them which sadly later on didn’t feature a great deal. It’s funny because this book reminds me of some English homework I did at school when I was about 12 years old, I excitedly spent all my time creating the characters of my story, that I ran out of time for the main story which ended up being very short and rushed. My teacher marked me low because of this. Now I’m not saying this is exactly what happened here, but it echoes of that a little. I kind of hope this book leads on to others, although without trying to add a spoiler, a few of the characters…don’t make it…so how possible this is I’m unsure.

So 4 stars from me, I enjoyed the story and was engrossed all the way through and to add further weight to that, I will now have a look at what else this author has done.

Now, on to passing the half way mark of my annual target, which book next?[image error]

 

 

Goodreads Challenge 2016 – 44% done!

Right then, next update on my annual reading challenge see’s me hit the 44% complete mark, and I’ve done something reading style I’ve not done before.  Sure it’s something readers regularly do, but I’ve not…but have now!

And that is to read a few books on the bounce, from the same author as part of their series.  I read Robert Fabbri’s historical fiction books about Vespasian.

Vespasian – Rome’s Executioner

This is the second book in the authors Vespasian series, which is about Vespasian, who eventually becomes emperor and reigned from 69 to 79 AD and who famously had the coliseum built. However in this book it is about the main characters adventures long before he get’s into power.

I did enjoy this book, found it well written and clearly the author knows his stuff without bogging us laymen down with too much detail in an attempt at, I suspect from other authors, showing off. I really enjoyed a lot of the political coming and going’s, as one character attempted to out manoeuvre another and for action fans the battle scenes are detailed and adequately gory. I also, as I’ve read before in another review and agree with, found the character ‘Antonia’ very interesting, as she plots and schemes with various Senators and public officials in her overall plan to have her family take over Rome’s power. She is a strong and very intelligent woman who is always two steps ahead of everyone else, including our own Vespasian.

A downside for me however was I did find myself confused at times with the reference or use of a numerous or varied list of character’s names I didn’t always remember being used before or remember if they had or not, or even who they where?! Especially in meetings around conspirators etc. So this sometimes put me off or lost me…..but For historical fiction fans, a good read! 4 stars!

False God of Rome – Vespasian III

This is the third book in the Vespasian series, and I’ve read this straight after reading the second, and must admit I’ve read through this quite quickly so clearly enjoyed it.

This book see’s our main character, Vespasian, develop further as he heads towards becoming a more politically powerful member of Rome. The time period covered in this book sees the end of the Emperor Tiberius and the succession of Caligula, who is clearly mad, sees himself as a god and is involved in various acts of debauchery and incest. The book, strangely for books about Roman history, has no major campaigns or battles taking place. However we still do get plenty of violence and back stabbings with all the political plots of power, murders and ghastly terror in Rome.

Think I best crack on with the fourth in the series. Another 4 stars from me.

Rome’s Fallen Eagle

This is book number 4 in the Vespasian series written by Robert Fabbri, where again we continue to see the developing and character building of the future emperor Vespasian. In this instalment I’m glad to say we see an end to the Emperor Caligula, who from the previous book was causing quite a lot of mayhem and performing deplorable acts that was a little tough to digest and read at times. Perhaps I’m getting soft in my old age.

In this instalment we see our hero help the, almost feeble new emperor Claudius, score points with the Rome public by retrieving the long lost Seventeenth’s Eagle and then this is followed up by the invasion of Britain.

Maybe because I don’t normally read so many books by one author in a series, one after the other, I found my interest (and energy) levels slipped a little during this book, especially the second half/part of the book and in particular around the battle scenes, think I enjoyed the political back stabbing’s of the previous books to these, but that’s more than likely just me.

Anyway, three stars, and think I’m now taking a break from Vespasian and give something else a read.  Feel a little exhausted.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reading challenge – 1/4 of 2016 gone.

Well, I’ve had an email today from Goodreads about my yearly reading challenge, confirming that today we are a quarter of the way through 2016 and ‘Congratulating’ me on being ahead of schedule!! I’m 38% done.

So what have I read since my last blog/update.

Book number #17 – A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E.Schwab

This book has lots of high ratings with some fantastic reviews, on both Goodreads and Amazon, and so when reading them and the blurb I was hooked into giving it a try. And I’m so glad I did.

This is a really good book with a fantastic story line/premise. Which is that there are four Londons – in parallel worlds or universes, each geographically much the same as the other but with very different customs, governments and languages. Our hero is ‘Kell’ who is one of the last people in the world that can travel between them: red, white and grey Londons – (black London has been destroyed, but suspect we’ll see more in future books). He is a little bit of a magical rogue in that he supplements his income and passes his time with a bit of gambling and smuggling between the Londons, which will prove to be his undoing and create the adventures we go through in the book.

This book is very well written, I’ve never read the authors work before but will, with lots of thrills and interesting engaging characters thoughout! I’m hooked. So any shortfalls? I hear you cry. Well, for me, everything was easily anticpated. No unexpected twists or shocks. A weak flaw, but would of been perfect with some twist I didn’t expect or see. I also found the whole ups and downs with the ‘Black stone’ a little too….’Lord of the Rings’ like. I’m avoiding spoilers but sure people who have read the book will know what I mean.

But well worth a read, I enjoyed it, and I’m sure will read more from this author. 4 out of 5!

Which book next?

 

 

 

 

 

Goodreads Reading Challenge – 36% Done.

So here I am, end of March, still flying through books with vigour.  My yearly challenge of 45 books in a year is seeming more and more likely and achievable, in fact, doesn’t seem taxing enough.  I surprise myself with how well I’m doing.

So what have I polished off from my to-read-shelf at home since my last blog.

Book #14 – The Vault of Bones by Pip Vaughan-Hughes

The Vault of Bones is a follow up to ‘Relics’, which I unfortunately haven’t read, and is about our lead character Petroc who is an ex-monk living in the thirteenth century . The story involves the hunting of religious relics, from around Europe, which involves; Dignitaries like the Pope, various murders and mysterious priests.

In genre terms I guess this would be labelled as an historical thriller, however in my opinion the pacing is way too slow to be a real ‘thriller’ and as such it never maintained any excitement with me. I was never really gripped and I, as with the pace of the book, meandered my way through at times long sections of…nothing.

That been said, maybe harshly, it wasn’t a completely bad book that contained absolutely no interest to me. The bits of action, when they do occur, are reasonable and the insight into the time period is good. However my likelihood of picking up the first or last instalment is low and unlikely. Two stars out of five from me.

Next Book #15 – The Man in the High Castle by Phillip Dick

This story is about an alternative world based on what the world would be like if the Alliance of America, England etc. lost the second world war to the Axis powers of Germany and Japan. I was curious to see how this new world would be portrayed by the author, as enjoyed reading Fatherland by Robert Harris which has a similar premise, and this book has had lots of good reviews and I understand a TV series made about it, so I expected a lot.

However I found the plot with this story swerve in many various directions, with something going on about forging antiques and a plot to ‘nuke’ Japan, as well as mention of a banned book which is about what would happen if the Alliance actually won the war, all with no resolution, which made it all quite confusing to me.

Fear I’ve either missed something here or I’m a lot less intellectual then people that have raved about this book (which is more then likely!). Not for me this one. Another two stars out of five, but now wondering if it should be one?

Recently read Book #16 – The Ides of March by Valerio Manfredi

Having read a few of the authors books before and considering myself a fan, I decided to give this one a go, and remained optimistic as the last book of his I read I didn’t enjoy at all (The Tower). But here, Manfredi again produces an enjoyable, easy to read book all about the last week of Julius Caesars life, his conspirators who tried to bring him down and the allies who did what they could to defend him.

We already know the outcome of the story and lead character, but for me, the success of this telling is the almost behind-the-scenes escapades of the other characters who are either plotting Caesars downfall or those loyal to him, rushing and fighting to try and save him. I was gripped and willing on Publius Sextius for example, centurion and loyal follower of Caesar known as ‘The Cane’ as he battled to get back with messages of conspiracies and to help protect him or Silius, Caesar’s adjutant and loyal friend, who feels Caesar isn’t doing enough to protect himself during these dangerous times.

Nice little thriller which provides some good suspense. Worth a read! Four stars out of five from me on this one.

Right, 36% done, let’s crack on with some more….:)

 

 

 

 

 

My Reading Challenge – 29% complete

I’m still enjoying my reading challenge!  My new order of books arrived in the post this week ready for me to start, as my to-read-shelf has started to be depleted as I consume my challenge with ease.  As per Goodreads I’m now 4 books ahead of schedule!  Now wondering if my challenge of 45 books in a year was not taxing enough, as my progress to date seems to suggest.

Anyway, what have I read since my last blog?

 

I continued my reading with Heap House by Edward Carey.

This was a book that appealed to me by how it looked both unusual and quirky, different to my current recent reads, as well as how great the Illustrations looked. A lot of books on my shelves are dominated by historical fiction books, as family members over the years have purchased them as birthday or Christmas gifts for me.  But I fancied mixing up what I was reading, so plumped for this odd looking curiosity. 

However I ended up feeling confused most of the time reading this and not at all sure where things were going, plus I never really managed to connect with any of the characters, maybe Clod a little, but none of the others which was a shame.  The book is about a family that looks after? live in? heaps of trash, that also have random items that can speak to them.  Nice idea which convinced me to purchase and try it, however a Marmite type of a book I suspect. You’ll either love it or hate it. I’m left a little indifferent.

My next book, which again is a fictional book on the quirky side is Mr Penumbra’s 24 hour bookstore by Robin Sloan.

I enjoyed this story a lot, was a little bit different again to the usual stuff I read, and glad I did. This book will definitely appeal to the mid-thirties to forty year old crowd amongst us, who where geeks before geek became cool. Lot’s of little nostalgic nods to things we grew up loving, like music cassettes and Dungeons and Dragons.

There’s a quote in the blurb from the Washington Post that I can’t agree more with. ‘Delightful…smart, hip and witty’. It definitely is, and all bookworms that love a little mystery solving which involves books, libraries and book stores will thoroughly enjoy this. I did.  And in the style of the story, probably quite apt I read this on my kindle.

5 stars.

Right, where’s that collection of new books for me to look at and choose from [image error]

 

 

 

Goodreads 2016 Reading Challenge – 24% completed

As I enter the first week (and a bit) of March 2016, how is my progress going for my personal reading challenge.  Well, as per Goodreads, I’m 24% done.  Still ahead of schedule, but by my reckoning only just…so I’m still pleased.  So what have I read since my last blog.

Book number 10 – Moriarty by Kim Newman.

I was really hooked and excited by the idea or concept of this book. Victorian crime thrillers with and written from the alternative side of the fence, by that of the infamous Moriarty and Moran, taking the place of the much loved (by me) Holmes and Watson, but being obviously a lot more naughty, evil and cruel in their points of view or goals.

Although for some disappointing reason, I was never able to get into this, it never gripped me or ever had me looking forward to continue to read on. Almost became a chore to finish it, and have to admit a few skipped pages here or there