Steampunk Magazine reviews

Thanks to the wonderful folks over at Steampunk Magazine, I've been reviewing some awesome books - which is one of the reasons I've not been doing many reviews on here recently! But I'm trying to get back into the habit and build up my base again (starting with a review of Julianna Baggot's Fuse).

This post is just a plug for the reviews I've done for Steampunk Magazine, the links for which I've included below:

A Drop of the Venom (You can see the promo postcard and model ship above! Isn't it beautiful?)

The Art of Steampunk

That Darn Squid God!

I also currently have review assignments for a Steampunk RPG, Hive, Queen and Country, and another novel called Gearteeth by Timothy Black.

Fuse by Julianna Baggott

"Pressia and Bradwell scramble up the rubble. Mixed in with it are pieces of multicoloured stained glass. Even dusted with ash, the colours are still vivid. Pressia picks up a shard. It's sharp-edged but its surface is smooth. It was once part of something beautiful, she's sure, something to inspire people."

- Julianna Baggott, Fuse 

This picture contains my well-loved copies of the first and second novels of Julianna Baggott's post-apocalyptic YA trilogy, Pure and Fuse. They look well-loved because I have been carrying either one around with me everywhere since I received Fuse to review a couple of months ago; this trilogy is simply addictive. It's disturbing, the language and descriptions are visceral, it's everything you expect from dystopian literature; with some added extras. Watching the characters grow and develop makes the journey intense, often uncomfortable, and I can't say I haven't shed a few tears or experienced shocking, heart-stopping moments. It's essentially a book about loss, and dreading loss, and this is something you empathise with - you can't help dreading losing these characters, and the threat is always there.

However, as I've tried to explain when I've recommended the book to others, it's not simply a dark book with no hope. You watch the characters strive for the good of humanity, you see the beauty in the little things. The quote above is one of my favourites, and it demonstrates one of the fundamental ideas within the novel: beauty is everywhere, you just have to look for it. Despite the disturbing  gloom-ridden passages, the novel is full of hope. Set inside the dystopian fiction is the romantic subplot, emphasising the hope in the novel. The relationship is beautiful, and even heart-rending in places. 

Whilst I was still reading Fuse, I asked Julianna Baggott if there was any way of getting hold of her novel before it's released in 2014 (such a long wait) to which she responded: 

"There is no chance unless you break into my house, and I prefer you not do that. Plus, it's hard to get decent employment with a criminal record so... "

It's a fair point - but still disappointing! I honestly can't wait to get my hands on Burn. But, in the meantime, Pure is already available and Fuse is due to be released on the 14th February! I highly recommend you grab a copy of the former in preparation.

Kate Milford's The Boneshaker

So after helping Kate Milford with her wonderful KickStarter Campaign, I am reviewing the first novel in the series, The Boneshaker, illustrated by the talented Andrea Offermann. In the near future, I will also be reviewing The Broken Lands and it's companion novel, which the KickStarter Campaign funded, The Kairos Mechanism - both of which are out in September.

And after reading The Boneshaker, I can't wait to get my hands on them.

First of all, the genre. This is a tricky one. It's a YA, dark fantasy, clockpunk, gothic amalgamation set in an alternative universe version of America after the Civil War (or 'The War Between States'). It's very strange, very dark, very chilling. There are deals with the Devil, automata which never wind down, and strange visions of the past. It's just simply brilliant.

The main character, Natalie Minks, is a twelve-year-old girl who, after becoming caught up in many things she doesn't understand, shows evil it's place. If I had read this book a few years ago, she may well have been a girlhood hero - she's fierce, intelligent, determined. And she suits the book perfectly.

Best of all, for me, were the book's clockpunk elements. Some have described the book as steampunk - but it's definitely more gears and springs than coal and steam. From Natalie's beloved bicycle to the tiny automata, the intricacy of the descriptions left me with a buzz of excitement.

Finally, we have Andrea Offermann's fantastic illustrations - they work so well alongside the story and are very Tim Burton-esque. They will send shivers down your spine!

Now, off you go and buy this book - and mark September with an excited squiggle followed by a few thousand exclamation marks.

Crochet Workshop - Erika Knight

So for my 'Coming Home' post (i.e. I've been away from the blog quite a bit due to numerous horrible things which I won't go into) I decided to do something a little bit different. This is post one of my exploration of Erika Knight's new book Crochet Workshop! It's such a fantastic book that it really warrants something more than a single post saying how awesome it is - so I'm going to be reviewing it over a series of posts and updating you on the progress of my first project, a laptop cover.Firstly, as you can see from the slight curl of the cover, this book has already been much loved, despite having had it only a month. After teaching myself a little crochet by making some traditional granny squares, this book has certainly provided the next step to exploring crochet. It's very well laid-out, providing variations on squares, detailed explanations of how to make each form of stitch, and then splitting the projects by difficulty.

My favourite part of the project pages is the small 'What you will learn' section as I quite like to know what I'm practising and it's always good to know what the techniques can be used for in future. Ever the student, I like having a set of learning objectives when discovering something new!

Anyway, my first project from it is the laptop cover. I decided against using the grey coloured wool and went for a lovely, vibrant pink that I had in my stash from making granny squares. So far, I've only done the first two rows, after completely messing up  once before I got to the next stage. (See above) So I've started again and it's going a lot smoother now! I'm learning to increase and decrease, practising my double crochet and turning. Best of all, I'm enjoying it! It's a fun little project and I'll have something useful at the end of it. Once it's done, I'll need to find myself a brightly coloured zip to sew on. 


I'll tell you more about the project as it progresses, with plenty of photos, and probably some amusing screw-ups. So far, all I can say is, if you want to learn to crochet - buy this book, it's awesome! (Big 'Thank you!' to the wonderful people at Quadrille who sent me my copy).

The Light Between Oceans by M. L. Stedman

The Light Between Oceans is the debut novel of M. L. Stedman, published a few weeks ago on the 26th April.

The novel is set in 1920s Australia, after the First World War. The war is a catalyst for many of the novel's events, everything is finely interwoven, as the reader witnesses mistake after mistake, tragedy after tragedy. Despite the tragedies, however, there are so many beautiful aspects to the relationships within the pages. The way the characters are explored brings them to life in such a way that you can't help but fall in love with them, sympathise with them, and mix your tears with theirs.

I so desperately wanted to reach the happy ending. It didn't happen. It is one of the most tragic and beautiful novels I have come across.

If one thing is certain, it is that this book is certainly not light-hearted. While I encourage my viewers to read it, I do so with the caveat that they should not be expecting to 'enjoy' it as such. It is a wonderful, well-crafted, well-written novel, but it's just too sad to 'enjoy'. It rips you open at the heart and runs you down as you hope against hope alongside the characters. There is no happy ending, as such, except in that everyone settles and accepts their place, and strives to make the most of their lives and be happy as they are. The only chance of a happy ending comes late, and only causes more tears because of this.

Read it, love it, be rendered helpless and tear-stained.

Fifty Shades - My latest obsession

One month later - and I'm back! I'm so sorry but sometimes life takes over from my reading; in other words, I got a job and I had an essay due.

However, I'm back with the controversial BDSM romance trilogy from E. L. James. I'm going to make one thing clear before I begin: I love this trilogy. It's gotten a lot of stick for being inspired by Twilight and for it's BDSM overtones. I've seen critics describing it as 'dangerous'. To be fair on them, they've only read the first book. The way the story develops throughout the trilogy is romantic and beautiful, and in some cases terribly tragic and heart breaking.

Anastasia Steele is a final year university student, studying English. Christian Grey is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. It starts with their chance meeting when Ana interviews him for the university newspaper, due to his links with the university. I must admit, I was sceptical at first about the story. I bought it as an ebook before it came out in paperback last week because I heard it had been such a hit in America: I wanted to know why. And the reason why is this beautiful, broken man "who is by his own admission fifty shades of f*cked up." (James)

Lets just say, I became obsessed. I can't remember the last time I read a book so quickly. I went further into my overdraft just to read the next two books as soon as possible. Within a week, I'd already started re-reading the first book. The only reason I forced myself to start reading other things is that I have other books to read and review for this blog and SteamPunk Magazine. With much reluctance, I set it aside... but I have mentioned it to almost everyone I think will love it - and I've been spot on with every recommendation so far.

Don't be put off by the fact that it's erotica and that critics are labelling it as 'dangerous' or 'smutty'. It's beautiful.

Magic in early 1900s Alaska

I wasn't supposed to be writing this review until next week but I was so struck with this beautiful and tragic novel that I couldn't wait to share it with you all. The Snow Child is the debut novel of Eowyn Ivey, and what a debut it is. I lost a lot of time to this novel, and none of it was with regret, I was completely absorbed and I adored it. It is on a level with Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus which was the book that inspired me to start this review blog.

The Snow Child is the story of a couple in their fifties who decide to try their luck at setting up a homestead in early 1920s Alaska. Between hope and desperation, they push on past the obstacles laid in their path, especially when the 'snow child' begins to flit in and out of their lives, leaving them feeling hopeful and blessed. Throughout this tale, you will find yourself torn between happiness and grief. It teeters on the edge of fantasy in this mysterious and unfamiliar world, like something out of a fairytale, and you'll gaze with childlike wonder on the descriptions of the snow and the mountains and its delicate yet fierce wildness.

I'm afraid to admit that one thing did disappoint me - the novel ends. I didn't want it to, and I wanted it to go on and on forever, past the tragedy and I wanted desperately for it to have an entirely happy ending. This doesn't stop me from adoring it. It also doesn't stop me from recommending it whole-heartedly to you.

Joshua Foer - Moonwalking with Einstein

In lieu of a post about the fantastically engaging and beautiful book, The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (which I'm currently very much enjoying), I have decided to review Joshua Foer's Moonwalking with Einstein. My local bookshop, University Bookseller, runs a fantastic popular science reading group (Think Tank Book Club) and this was our book for the month. I don't usually post about books that I haven't been asked to review (mainly because I don't have enough time to do so because I have a pile of books waiting to be reviewed) but with this book, I decided I had to.

The book is Foer's journalistic self-experiment of interring himself in the world of mnemonists. Though it might sound like some kind of religious cult (it is a little bit like that...), it actually refers to the art of memory. He uses scientific and anecdotal sources to explore his experience, and makes it informative, thought-provoking and entertaining. As the quote on the cover suggests it really is "A great yarn grounded in real science". In fact, it's so good that it's the first popular science book I've managed to read all the way through. The personal narrative of a human endeavour makes it more like a story than a book about science which makes it eminently more readable than many other pop-sci books I've read.

This is what popular science should be! Engaging, entertaining and informative.

Script Frenzy 2012

So I'm doing my thing of OLL fandom once again! This time, it's Script Frenzy; from the 1st to the 30th April, I will be writing a script of 100+ pages. This post is all about inviting you, my lovely bookworms, to join me. If you're anything like me, your bookwormishness doesn't extend merely to fiction or nonfiction, but beyond that to poetry and drama (maybe not so much poetry, I guess...) We're not just talking about stageplays here, people, it's comic book scripts, screenplays, radio plays! Endless possibilities, endless opportunities, waiting to be snatched up by you!

And don't try to get out of it with excuses such as 'But I don't know how to write a script!' - the lovely people at OLL have thought of that. Click this link to be taken to their wonderful page full of guides and how-tos! And if that doesn't inspire you, watch some of your favourite films, go and see a play, stick on a great TV programme, or turn on your radio - think of all the things that you could do next month, the film you've always wanted to see but no one else has made it, the TV show you've been waiting for, the stageplay that you wished you'd seen whenever you were dragged by your teacher to the theatre!

The best thing? You simply register here and it's all free. (Though I do recommend you donate an help pay the bills towards this wonderful frenzy of script writing!) And if that still hasn't caught your attention, anyone who signs up/logs in to the Script Frenzy site before March 31st gets entered into a prize draw to win some wonderful prizes including "a playbill signed by the cast of the new Broadway comedy Seminar: Alan Rickman (Yes, the Alan Rickman!), Hamish Linklater, Lily Rabe, Hettienne Park, and Jerry O’Connell."

What on earth are you still reading this for??

Care of Wooden Floors by Will Wiles

Care of Wooden Floors is the debut novel of Will Wiles, by day an architecture and design journalist, by night a novelist (it would seem). It was selected last month as one of the Waterstones 11 - eleven novels chosen as the best debut novels of 2012 (some more of which are to be reviewed here, such as Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child, February 2012, and Jenni Fagan's The Panopticon, May 2012). 

So. Reading Wiles' debut novel was not the easiest or most relaxing thing in the world. It is, at times, cringe-worthy - not due to the writing but due to the actions of it's protagonist. It's a little like watching Peep Show or The Worst Week of My Life - sometimes you just want to look away and grimace. It is essentially a series of increasingly unfortunate events - including negligent homicide and manslaughter, but treated in a surreal manner which feels rather... dream-like. In fact, the entire book, a series of events, predicted by a man the reader never really meets, is essentially like a dream. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong, and at the end of it all there were no consequences and the protagonist heads home feeling rather bemused and slightly philosophical.

The writing itself is heavy-handed. Layer upon layer of metaphor and simile. It's focus on building structures and architecture is obviously part of its author's passion, but I did not feel that it suited the character all that well - considering he is a freelance writer for the local council. However, once overlooked, the claustrophobic atmosphere that the language and descriptions bring actually make sense: this is a man trapped in a country he does not know, no one speaks his language, and the only place he has to call home is a flat belonging to a man with severe OCD. He is also a repressed writer. After a while, the language makes perfect sense.

I cannot in all honesty say I would ever read the book again - which is a tad unusual for me. The 'series-of-unfortunate-events'-style has never appealed to me, it makes me feel too uncomfortable, too frustrated with the character. Maybe I'm too much like his friend?

Ewart Hutton's "Good People"

This fortnight, I've spent my time with Ewart Hutton's debut novel, Good People (out on the 2nd February, next month). It aims to be the first in a series of mystery/crime novels based on the adventures of the disgraced half-Welsh, half-Italian copper, Glyn Capaldi. Its premise put me in mind of Simon Pegg and Nick Frost's comedy film, Hot Fuzz: City cop makes big mistake and ends up in the back-end-of-no-where, in a community of people who are too close for comfort. However, the big differences are that Good People isn't comedy, and is a heck of a lot darker. Also, the cavalry turn up a lot sooner as well.

As you'd expect from a good crime-novel, there are plenty of twists, plenty to keep your mind ticking over, trying to get ahead of Capaldi himself. It is an enjoyable and easy read, though at first for me Capaldi's character really grated. He sounds like something out of an American crime drama - he wouldn't have been out of place in New York. However, he is out of place in Cardiff and South Wales... fortunately that voice wears down into something a lot more readable and believable. Hutton, a little way in, finds Capaldi's real voice and that's when the fun really begins.

Saying this, the story doesn't leave you waiting around, ready for something to happen for the sake of long-haul character development - it doesn't immediately indulge in describing Capaldi's past. We pick up hints of what happened to him in Cardiff, but only enough to keep whetting our appetites - the story in the background of the current mystery. It's very well put together, and it knows it's part of a series - there's plenty of time to get to know the characters over the next stretch of books so it gives us information on a need-to-know basis.

In the strain of recent crime dramas, such as CSI, Hutton bravely takes on a disturbing crime for his first novel. Sexual deviancy with a side order of murder, in plenty of detail. For some more delicately-minded readers, it might not be the best read. Personally, it doesn't faze me - but I've read another review where one person was affected by it (A great detective story, just a bit graphic - a fellow Waterstones reviewer). However, as I pointed out before, if you've watched enough CSI Vegas in the last couple of years, sexual deviancy is probably not a problem.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novel, I pretty much just sat and read the whole thing over a couple of nights, quite happily. I even allowed a number of cups of tea to go cold in the process! I'm looking forward to seeing what the next novel might bring.

Season of Light by Katherine McMahon (Finally...)

Well, Christmas and the start of term have been very busy for me! Essays, organising conferences, researching for curating an exhibition, job applications - and an interview! - and obviously course-related reading and essays... but now things have settled down, I'm finally able to give you my review of Katherine McMahon's Season of Light! (Please forgive me for being so late with it...)

I love historical fiction, it's something about the settings and the fashion... this one particularly caught my eye as it is set around the time of the French Revolution and deals heavily in the idea of cosmopolitanism which was rife with women of eighteenth-century Britain. As you can tell, it intrigued me because the eighteenth-century is my specialism. Usually, when I pick up historical fiction, it's based in the era of the Tudors, in the strain of Philippa Gregory or Hilary Mantel. I know enough of the period to enjoy the books, and not enough to make me skeptical of what is written. All I can say is, I was very pleasantly surprised that my specialism did not blind me to the brilliance of Season of Light (and, indeed, it gave me no particular pause for thought in that way). I even smiled as a familiar name popped up here and there, such as Madame Genlis or the better known Robespierre.

It begins with a quote from Dicken's A Tale of Two Cities (a World Book Night book for 2012!) which is where the novel gets it's title, Season of Light. The quote really sets the scene, Dickens' view of the division of opinions during the the French Revolution really hits the spot for me. It was a time of fear, intrigue, and terror, and also hope, whether you were French or British. The story encapsulates this in the whirlwind romance and desperation of Asa's situation, which is so easy to get drawn into. If you enjoy Jane Austen, you will enjoy this more - the feisty heroines and their bold independence are even more engaging.

The Joy of Books

A delightful stop motion animation from a Canadian couple - I loved it so much, I just had to share! ^_^

New review coming up this Thursday!

The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari By Robin Sharma

Just as I promised, this fortnight I'm reviewing Robin Sharma's The Secret Letters of the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari.

Beginning with the title - I really wasn't sure what to expect, and frankly I was a little apprehensive. But a change is always good, no matter how small. So I dove into it with an open mind and found myself enjoying this unusual book. It's not unusual in a sense of originality compared with anything else on the market - it's that it has an unusual premise. The Secret Letters of a Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is essentially a spiritual self-help book in a fictional format. You follow the journey of Jonathan Landry as he collects talismans for his cousin, the monk, who needs them for someone whose life is in danger. It follows a typical hero/quest story line - at first reluctant, he decides to go for it and the journey inevitably changes him. But the content makes the journey a lot deeper than that.

Making the book even more unusual is it's place in the series. The other books follow in the spiritual self-help strain: Discover Your Destiny with the Monk ho Sold His Ferrari: The Seven Stages of Awakening and Leadership Wisdom with the Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: The 8 Ritual of the Best Leaders. Following on from the fictional book, these are non-fiction guides, much like Sharma's other self-help books. It seems the fiction is like a stepping stone into the world of spiritual self-help.

However, this doesn't mean that the book can't be enjoyed for its own sake. For myself, I think I would prefer to leave it at the fictional stage - I didn't feel drawn in by the guide, more by the fable that was presented, the anti-hero turned hero, coming to terms with his past and present and looking forward to a bright new future. Definitely a feel good book!

Overall, I can't say I'm absolutely raving about it, but it was enjoyable enough. If it sounds like your kind of thing, find a copy and see what you think.

Double Dexter

A new experience today – writing this on the train home to see my family. Currently passing lovely, bright green, rolling hills covered in tress and the occasional little farm house. 

Right – to the blog post:

Another book from the wonderful people at Doubleday. This is one of the more popular books I’ve reviewed as it is the latest in the Dexter series, Double Dexter. Let’s start with the cover, shall we? It promises to be “an all-new Dexter case you won’t see on TV” – surely a thrill for fans of the series and a sure-fire motive for them to grab a copy. It was released on 18th October, with little hype, but a strong fan-base nonetheless. I had high hopes, having heard so much about the series (some of you will be horrified to find that the first Dexter book I have read is the latest one, and I haven’t even caught an episode on TV) so as soon as I could I delved in to find out what the fuss was all about. 

It was an easy read, I probably read the 322 pages that my proof-copy offered in about six hours. I generally enjoyed the plot, too. However, as I read, the niggles piled up and I wished I hadn’t set my expectations quite so high. I was expected something complex, that would leave me wondering after each chapter, what was going to happen next? Who was the Shadow? It was, unfortunately, rather predictable, and I prefer more of a puzzle in my crime fiction, a few unexpected twists and turns. On top of its predictability was a hefty dose of repetition, which certainly wasn’t a helpful factor when it was quite obvious what was going to happen. It occasionally made the reading experience quite dull and I found myself skipping over whole paragraphs in search of something new. Even the simplest narrative techniques were exaggerated to make it obvious what was going to happen. Lindsay’s use of foreshadowing, for example, leaves a lot to be desired – rather than hinting at future events, it more shoves it in your face so that you cannot pretend you don’t know what’s coming. 

This said, I still sat for several hours straight and finished the book, and I had enjoyed what I’d read. If you want an easy crime fiction read, this would certainly be the kind of thing you were looking for. It is entertaining, the lovable rogue that is Dexter is a brilliant narrator, and Lindsay’s descriptions are fantastic. I have a feeling I might be tracking down the first book – maybe now that my expectations have been set straight, I might not find it so niggly.

National Novel Writing Month

I thought I take this fortnight's blog and write about a crazy little thing I'm doing called national Novel Writing Month. Of course, many of you have heard of it, but there are a surprising amount of people who don't know anything about it. I believe it is my duty as a NaNoWriMo participant to inform you all about this wonderful event.

Remember my first blog post on Erin Morgernstern's The Night Circus? The bestselling debut hit started life as a NaNoWriMo novel in 2005 (Read Erin's pep-talk on the writing of The Night Circus) and so did around ninety other novels! Amazing, right?

So I can see you wondering: what is NaNoWriMo exactly? Well, NaNoWriMo is an exciting opportunity to kick start your novel with the support of millions of other NaNo participants the world over! Writing is a solitary business, made a lot easier with the support of others in the same boat - in November there are a heck of a lot of people in that boat with you, so much so that the boat has probably become the size of the world's biggest cruiser-liner. But on the cruise-liner, there's not much time for lounging by the pool or playing games or watching the crew's entertainment evenings (dodgy cabarets and wanna-be musicians), but there are paper and pens everywhere and plug sockets so that your laptops and netbooks don't run out of juice, and a stash of USB sticks and a wireless internet connection so that once every seven days you can back up your precious words. There are also challenges and games to get your wordcount higher, enabling social interaction while still novelling! Did I mention the target is 50,000 words? Come back! Don't run away! It's fun!

At the moment, Day 10, we are a third of the way through - but it's no too late to join in! Numerous NaNo participants are joining as the days go on. In fact, there are many and various ways to catch up with those of us who have been writing since day one. My favourite so far is in memory of our heroes of WWII: The 11-11-11 11th Hour Challenge. Within the same forum, you will also find invitations to word wars and other fun word-count-boosting social activities. And speaking of social activities! You will also find that the majority of areas around the world have their own NaNo Regions. These are run by wonderful people who take on the role of Municipal Liaison. Both in real life and in the virtual world, these people offer advice, encouragement and social activities such as the Kick-Offs, Write-Ins (both IRL and virtual) and the Thank-God-It's-Over parties. They also run regional chatrooms for word wars and sprints; often regions war against each other for the highest collective word count! So if you're feeling competitive, it's a great place to be. And finally, there's the wonderful world of Twitter. Throughout November, there are numerous challenges run on @NaNoWordSprints by MLs all over the world which give you timed challenges to write as much as you can, alongside little prompts and challenges such as words or situations to get into your writing. If all else fails, trawl through the forums for interesting threads and be inspired! As you can see, you are not left on your own to complete this month-long challenge, help is around every corner!

What I'm saying is... I'd like to invite you all on a whirl-wind adventure into the land of novel-writing for the next twenty days. What do you say?

Bruce Duffy's Disaster Was My God

I have never read a semi-fictional biography before, nor have I read any poetry by the French poet Arthur Rimbaud. Bruce Duffy's Disaster Was My God has introduced them both to me. He states in his 'Note to the Reader' that while the book may be true to the character of Monsieur Rimbaud, the account is a fictional one; Duffy describes it as "more allegorical than historical, as befits a legend". Nevertheless, it is a compelling story and will certainly stir your interest in the man and his poetry.

The title of the book is derived from Rimbaud's poem, A Season In Hell, and his poetry is often quoted throughout the novel - the descriptive and dark language used by Duffy often seems a mimicry of the poet. His account of "the outlaw life of Arthur Rimbaud" draws you in from the beginning. Anachronistically, the prologue serves as an insight into the life of Rimbaud's mother after his death, revealing the contrasting views of Rimbaud's mother and the town of Charleville. Arthur is the bane of her life; Arthur is their hero and claim to fame.

The anachronistic treatment of the story does not mean you lose your way through the maze of Arthur Rimbaud's life; Duffy's skillfully crafted story merely keeps you on your toes. The past seems to serve as an explanation for the current actions of the characters, which suits the novel's prologue: In some ways the later chapters exist as a teleological explanation of Madame Rimbaud's attitude towards her son. Really, an excellent narrative hook. Why does this woman despise her son so much? Read on, dear Monsieur et Madame, read on...

The novel is to be released on the 17th November 2011 - and I'm very grateful to DoubleDay to be able to have this early viewing.

Back to normality, starting with the Monster

Hello, my fellow book-lovers. Everything has become more settled now I'm in my third week of my MA; back into the swing of things as it were. So I'm back to writing reviews biweekly, as promised. Also as promised, I'm reviewing A Monster Calls.

Patrick Ness's book is aimed at a younger audience, young adults and older children, than the books I have previously reviewed. However, I will argue most heartily that it is a book for all ages, so long as you have a decent-sized box of tissues nearby. This is a devastating story of a young boy coming to terms with the fact that his mother is dying of cancer. Adding to the distressing layers of the novel, the idea for the story was begun by Siobhan Dowd, who lost her own battle against cancer before she could write the book. Ness bravely takes on Dowd's final novel and produces something crushing and brilliant.

The White Devil

I'm sorry that this is late again. It's been an odd and busy week full of illnesses - my poor fiance is very poorly.

This week's novel is The White Devil  by Justin Evans.

Welcome to Harrow School. A private school for the elite of England. When he was younger, and not quite mad, bad and dangerous to know, it was the school of Lord Byron. Centuries later, some of his best kept secrets come to light... starting with a murder on the school grounds.

Well put together, with interesting twists. Best read in a well lit room, preferably during day-light.

So you want to be a reveur?

The Night Circus - Online Game

Above is a link to a small game based on the lovely novel. You choose cards, you collect mementoes and your story progresses... where will the circus take you?