Monday, January 19, 2015

Reading Recap: December/January

December flew by, January is flying by, and my ability to read more than one book at a time is dying at the same rate as my brain cells. Oh well. I get points for trying, right?


                                         
Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb
     While reading, I kept comparing this book’s pace to a stroll in the park. It’s smooth, it’s steady, and the scenery is a delight to behold…just don’t expect to reach your destination any time soon. This time, though, I think a slower pace works for the story, which is quiet, contemplative, a little tragic and very, very beautiful.  



Every Breath by Ellie Marney
    Every bit as good as it sounds (I mean, who can resist Sherlock Holmes in modern-day Sydney?) with some wonderfully dark, complex characters. Rachel Watts and James Mycroft make quite the team--she has more than enough smarts, guts, and emotional baggage to rival his brooding genius. I really appreciated that they both came from working class families constantly scraping to make ends meet, and the mystery ain’t bad either.   

                        
                          
 Rose by Holly Webb
    I've seen this book described as Downton Abbey meets Harry Potter. So far (I’m only about a quarter of the way through) that's proved an accurate description. When Rose gets the job of her dreams as a maid in Mr. Fountain’s mansion, she’s determined that no magic will sabotage it. Too bad her boss is an alchemist and Rose’s own magical talents are just starting to surface…



 Kinda Like Brothers by Coe Booth
     Great plot and mostly likable characters, but the ending left a ton of issues unresolved, making me wonder if this is the first book in a series.     



Skulduggery Pleasant: The Faceless Ones by Derek Landy
    I've made my adoration for this series clear, so I won’t bore you with more gushing. Just read them. Read them all.



British Folktales: New Versions by Kevin Crossley Holland 
    I finally bought myself a copy of this--only my favorite collection of folktales--for Christmas. Most of the tales are told straight, but in a very distinctive voice. My personal favorites are “Tam Lin”, “A Fine Field of Flax”, “The Wild Man”, and “Seal-Woman”. Two super-short ghost stories, “Her” and “Boo!” actually inspired a story of my own (more on that later). New Versions is out of print, but you can buy used copies pretty cheaply online.

6 comments:

  1. Looks like some really good books! That collection of British folktales sounds really interesting.

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    1. It is! Some of the tales in it are pretty obscure; I've had a hard time finding them in other books. And they're all beautifully written :)

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  2. I've seen several people raving about the Skulduggery Pleasant series, and the other day when I was at my local library I noticed a copy of the first book in the children's section, so I think I might have to give it a try sometime soon, haha. It's just so daunting, though, because there are SO many books in the series! If I got hooked, I'd probably have to space them all out so I could get some other books read this year, too, haha. ;)

    And I actually just saw Every Breath on someone's blog recently, though I'm not totally sure which blog it was...but I'm glad you enjoyed it! It looks like you've read some pretty good books lately. Here's to even more awesome reads in the year to come!

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    1. There are a lot of books in the series, but they're all so addictive that it's taken me only about three days (tops) to finish each one. Granted, I'm only on the third...and I can't wait to get my hands on the fourth! If you do decide to give them a try, I really hope you like them!
      And Every Breath is also amazing--I can't wait for the sequel!

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  3. Okay, the number of people who have shoved Skullduggery Pleasant in my face is reaching kind of ridiculous heights - though, oddly enough, I haven't seen it mentioned on any book blogs before you talked about it! (Perhaps I'm just not reading the right ones?) Regardless, I think the time has definitely come to give it a try - I'm just hesitant because there are about 23089472938749 books in the series, and I'm notoriously terrible at finishing the long ones. :P

    The other books on this list look amazing as well - I've got my eye on Every Breath, since I'm a die-hard Sherlockian and devour every interpretation ever. ;) Great picks! x

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    1. I really hope you do give Skulduggery Pleasant a try. It's an incredibly good series (so far, anyway...) and every book is better than the last.
      I was really impressed at how Every Breath manages to be its own unique story with its own unique interpretation of the characters. I started it expecting a fast, fun read, and instead got something much deeper and more substantial.

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