David Stringer's Blog, page 5
February 18, 2016
Goodreads Reading Challenge – 20% complete
So here I am, surprising even myself with this rapid progress, middle of February and already 20% into my yearly target. So what have I read since my last blog?
I started off with Velerio Massimo Manfredi’s – The Tower.
I’ve enjoyed some of Manfredi’s books in the past, always consider him one of my favourite historical fiction authors! But afraid this one doesn’t really work for me, this is a simplistic ‘Indiana Jones’ type story which get’s a little boring and has a strange ending. A real shame as I’m a fan of the author and enjoyed his earlier books Tyrant and Sparta, and when discussing this book and my disappointment with it, friends and fellow fans of his work, wonder if maybe something was lost in translation. Who knows, any way, I give this two stars.
Book #9 of my challenge is Ben Kanes – Spartacus. And this book has placed Ben Kane into being one of my favourite historical fiction authors! This book was a very enjoyable read. The story has plenty of detailed (but not over the top) violence, political infighting and intrigue as well as some well developed and interesting characters.
Spartacus is a well known character (and story) and as in this book/story is presented as a man who has a hatred for all things Roman, is a great warrior who becomes a great leader, who tries to do the right things by his followers and who, when all said and done, basically just wants to get out of Italy and go home.
I’ve dropped a star because at times during the book my attention waned, maybe the book is too long, maybe some battle bits at the end became a little samey, I’m not sure. But still, a book I enjoyed. 4 stars!
Now the fun bit…picking my next read.
February 7, 2016
Reading Challenge 2016 – 16% complete.
As we enter the second month of the year, February, my progress continues to go well! I have now completed books five, six and seven of my yearly forty five book target, meaning I am 16% of the way there, with Goodreads further telling me I’m currently three books a head of schedule. Is it sad that this is really motivating me to go on?
So what books have I read since my last blog.
Well, book #5 is a book I purchased as a hardback a good few years ago and have saved on my shelf, as one I have really looked forward to getting round to reading ever since. I remember as soon as I saw the book and front cover in the book shop, and read the blurb about it being a kind of sequel for the much loved ‘Artful Dodger’ that I just had to read this book.
And so some years later, I treated myself to finally starting it. And I am sorry to say I’m left a little disappointed. It is written well enough, is good humoured with some little twists and turns along the way, but it never really ever gripped me. I found I lacked any interest in the jewel that all the characters are seeking and any care or concern about the majority of the characters introduced in the story along the way. So, not a terrible book, think I just expected or hoped for more. I think I built up the expectancy of this book too much in my own mind. So I’ve given it three stars, still a good book but just never ‘stole’ my heart.
I followed this up by reading another book, a prequel this time, about two more of my favourite fictional characters. Book #6 is Flint and Steel by John Drake.
And I did enjoy this insight into how both Long John Silver, Captain Flint and other characters like Ben Gunn became the characters we later come across in more famous literature. I really warmed to John Silver, the gentleman pirate, and found myself routing for him throughout. One downside to the book for me was the jumping around of chapters/years, which lost me more than once as we’d go from present day (story wise) to a few years in the past with a different character. Another three stars from me, a nice, fun, harmless read.
Book #7 was Robin Hobbs – Ship of Magic. A story, again, about or involving pirates and seafaring folk in a fantasy world. With a nicely pleasant spin of having some ships made of a special wizard wood, that after time brings the ship….to life. I loved this idea and loved the liveship characters we meet throughout the book. That leads me on nicely to the comment that this book has a lot of characters, and a lot of the story is about these characters and us getting to know them more, to the degree that the story is put on a back burner which I suspect is due to this being the first of three books. A little bugbear of mine is when books are clearly leading onto the next in the series and can’t really stand alone.
So a book I mainly enjoyed, would of preferred a character or two being cut out to make it a quicker, easier read. For example cutting out the daughter ‘Malta’ sections/chapters maybe would (for me) made the story more interesting and flow better. So I’m giving this three stars! As for the reasons above and not being sure I’m that engaged enough to read the following books.
Right then, which book to pick next??
February 6, 2016
New Children’s Book Review “The Insect Hotel”
New Children’s Book Review for “The Insect Hotel”
The Insect Hotel has a new, lovely, five star review on the blog site AlliesOpinions! Who is a book reviewer and blogger of Randomness! Please check it out below or click on the link to take you direct to the blog itself. All at the Hotel are chuffed! [image error]
Book Reviewer / Blogger of Randomness
This book was so much fun to read! My two year old was involved in the story and had a blast as we talked about all the bugs and their stories. I was shocked at how much of this caught his attention and curiosity. He is only 2 1/2 so I fully anticipated this book to be a bit over his head. It wasn’t! He listened with bated breath as I read.
Stringer does something I would love to hug him for. He write’s to children expecting them to understand and be intelligent. By this, I mean he doesn’t dumb down his language. There is no baby talk here. He writes with imagination and humor while still managing to weave in a good lesson here and there throughout the story.
Stringer also enlightens children to the outdoors as he hooks their curiosity and encourages a compassion for the insect world. He “humanizes” insects by giving them stories and names.
The cover is amazing! What an eye catcher!
I love everything about this book and the messages it perpetrates.
It’s a beautifully written story that I will cherish as part of my son’s library.
Have an adventure and get this book for your little!
I give this book the full 5 stars!
January 18, 2016
Goodreads Challenge: Book #3 and #4
So how am I doing with my Goodreads 2016 challenge, which is to read 45 books in a year. Well I’m back at work now, so the amount of free time I have is obviously reduced, but I’m still keen to achieve my target and read whenever possible. It’s just over the half way mark of January, so let’s check in.
Well I’m apparently 9% through completion of my target, and two books ahead of schedule. Boom! So which two books have I managed to read since my last blog:
Book #3 of my challenge was Simon Scarrow’s ‘When the Eagle Hunts’ which is the third in the authors Eagle series. I’ve read the first two books many, many, many moons ago before other commitements came along and stopped my ‘reading for fun’ past time. So how did this reunion with this historical fiction series fare. Well, sadly, I struggled at times to keep my interest in this book going, all seemed a little samey to me, nothing really new going on. Even find my interest in the two main characters waning, which doesn’t bode well for me attempting to read others in the series. The story basically involves the two main characters (Marco and Cato) of the series having to find their generals shipwrecked wife and child, who have been taken by nasty tribal druids. I’ve given this two stars out of five :( Just never got interested in this story.
Book #4: Fevre Dream by George R.R. Martin. I have too, surprisingly, give this five stars. Why surprisingly? well, it is a genre I’m not at all into. Horror, but more specifically, vampires! The whole genre for me has been done to death (Pardon the pun) and so, when this book was handed to me by a family member to try, I agreed but with the idea of secretly charity bagging it ASAP.
But, I was actually really surprised how much I got into this, when deciding to give it a try. The author, who is now obviously very famous for other books, is clearly a very talented character builder and story teller. I was so impressed with this book, and enjoyed it a lot more then other books I’ve read recently, I found I really got into it and really cared about what was going on, the characters involved, good versus bad, day versus night, steamboats and the Mississippi. All combine to a fantastic story.
Hats off to the author on a job well done.
