Easter Egg

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2700 pages, Easter Egg, reread

I found an Easter egg earlier today. Not the scrumptious chocolate kind, I fear it’s a bit early in the year for that. I found a little nugget of gold that I had somehow missed in a book that I have read at least once a year since I was 17. To be clear, the sentence itself was familiar to me, in fact it’s one of my favourites. But the fact is that it’s playing on a moment that happened 2 books earlier, and is also foreshadowing events to come… and then the sudden realisation that the foreshadowing began in book 1.

It has taken me nearly 13 years to notice this tiny nugget in 2,700 pages (all up); and I’m not concerned by it. There are layers and subtleties to truly good stories, and what you take away from any of them at any time is governed by your mood, your environment, what you’ve learned, what you are capable of understanding, and why you are reading (or rereading it).

Who knows what I’ll take away from this series next year.

Read on.

Emotional Trauma at the Hands of a Paperback

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I need some comedy, Sara Donati, Wilderness Series finally at an end

I have just finished reading The Endless Forest by Sara Donati, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t regret reading the epilogue… even if only because it’s really, really the end. I know there is another book, about Bonner great grandchildren – of Savard extraction according to the blurb – a book that is the start of a whole new series, The Gilded Hour. 

Despite the emotional trauma I have just suffered, it was a truly wonderful book. The fact that it was capable of such an impact is a credit to Ms Donati.

If you’ll excuse me, I have a book borrowed from Peach that I must read to allow some recovery from all the tears.

Wish Me Luck

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Narrative Non-fiction, nz book council, UPDATE

I’m about to write a proper book review, which is to say it’s for the New Zealand Book Council. And it’s under my real name. Unfortunately I won’t be sharing it here as well, but I’ll knock one up for you guys at some point too.

Just know that Narrative Non-fiction (aka Biography of a Thing) is very much not my genre. I’m an escapist, or fiction all the way kind of gal.

Wish me luck!

Review: Witchin’ in the Kitchen

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comedy, Kris Calvert, review, shapeshifter, supernatural, two thumbs up, witch, Witchin' in the Kitchen

I have no idea whether any of you have ever heard of Kris Calvert before, but if you like a supernatural comedy… this book is for you. To be honest I don’t even remember where I got it.

The other day I was scrolling through my eReader app looking for a book to read, preferably one that I hadn’t already read (I love rereading, but sometimes you want something new), and I found Witchin’ in the Kitchen by Kris Calvert, it had a wonderful cover.

And I thought, that it was about time I read a comedy.

It is beautifully written, the characters are masterfully lifelike. Deliverance Parker is a 325 year old witch and has been blowing around the U.S. with the storms since she was 16 and survived the Salem Witch Trials. When the story really starts we meet her just as she has blown into yet another town, and just as things are getting really interesting.

Along the way we meet the love of Deliverance’s life – a bobcat shifter, his identical twin, Baba Yaga, Deliverance’s familiar… a mouse, and the Reverend John Hale who has been living (poorly) on the same curse as Deliverance, and who had her mother and sister hung in the Trials and is out to get Deliverance if it’s the last thing he does.

At 88 pages it’s by no means a long read, and it’s probably better for it. A nice little pick me up in the afternoon over a pot of tea and a Kissy Cake with Sexual Sugar might be just what the doctor ordered.

I don’t often give a five star review to such a short book, but this one had me in proverbial stitches. A well deserved 5 stars *****

P.S. the recipe for Deliverance’s magical Kissy Cakes with Sexual Sugar is at the end of the book, I might have to give it a go and see what happens.

Review: Once Were Warriors

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Book Review

Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff

A startling tale of a Maori family in the 1980s told by the family in an intriguing mix of internal monologue and stream of consciousness. It is hard to read if your life has been effortlessly more prosperous than the Heke’s; and the prose style can be almost physically hard to read if you aren’t familiar with the undereducated New Zealand English dialect.

The Heke family are lost, it is in part the effect of colonisation; so much of their own culture and heritage has been lost, and they lost themselves along the way. Beth Heke has the unfortunate realisation of this loss, but she too is lost and stuck in a cycle of neglect and benign abuse. Until her daughter Grace takes her own life, and Beth starts to look for a better way.

It is a heartbreaking tale that is all too familiar, and relatable across the globe; though with a unique kiwi feel. Best read aloud (even just to yourself) because some of the dialect is phonetic and makes no sense until you do read aloud. But well worth the 5 stars I am giving it.

For my Birthday…

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Birthday Book, Book Review, Orphan #8, Reading, review

I had my birthday this month, I’m 29 now, and my dear friend Megan (from Literary Food 3.0 in December last year) gave me Orphan #8 by Kim van Alkemade.

I read it in 2 days (between other birthday celebrations and studying).

It is indescribable! But definitely worth 5 stars and a You Need to Read this Book!

There were one or two moments where she slipped into ‘academic’, usually while explaining things – and while those little moments didn’t add to the story they sure as hell didn’t detract. What made it that much better in fact was the birth of Orphan #8 in the back… which is my creepy and kinda gross way of saying that she tells you the true stories that went into making Orphan #8. Those were my favourite parts, reading the little stories that range from heartwarming to heartbreaking and how seeing the story unfold again, seeing how they influenced the fiction. I don’t often like ‘behind the scenes stuff’, I usually find it trite; but there is so much going on in this book that it was a wonderful and welcome addition.

I can only hope that you all race out and find a copy to read, it really was a 5 star production.

Check out this review of Against Her Will

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Against Her Will, Nicole Sturgill, review

Once again I could wax lyrical, and once again I say that I simply won’t do that much typing on so small a device. Nicole Sturgill is an author with whom I work on Wattpad, she is one of my favourite little known authors. Sure, you could read my underwhelming (though positive) review… Or you could read her novels. If you can’t find them at your favourite online retailer check her out on Big Dream Publishing. Even if you don’t like all of her stories, Sturgill has something for everybody. Here is a review by Talia: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1112183315

Check out this review of Unworthy

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link to review, review, Unworthy

Bear with me, I am without my laptop – which may be enough to see me being large quantities of hot chocolate to ease my feelings of bereavement.

Normally I would write up a full blog post (as full as they get for me anyway) raving about the book in question. While I’m happy to rave about this book ’til the cows come home; I am not willing to do that much typing on so small a device.

Please follow the link to my review of Joanne Armstrong’s teen novel Unworthy, trust me it’s worthy – sorry couldn’t help myself.
If you don’t want to read the review then just read the novel, if you haven’t already guessed I wasn’t disappointed.

Here is a review by Talia: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1169037168

Until next time!

REVIEW: Given Up On Love by Christina Gallo

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Book Review, Christina Gallo, Dream Big Publishing, Given Up On Love

Only yesterday I finished reading Given Up On Love by Christina Gallo. And just in case you haven’t realised I am reviewing the book.

First published in 2014 by Dream Big Publishing, Given Up On Love is a romance novel; and it follows Natalia Greco from the moment that she leaves her abusive boyfriend. Natalia makes new friends right from day one, starting with Sargent O’Malley of a Maryland Police Department – who conveniently enough is her new roommate. Forgive me if I sound a little jaded on cliches.

On a brighter note, it really is a wonderful story. The interactions between Natalia and Jackson (Sargent O’Malley) are lively and entertaining. It is in the conversations between Natalia and Jackson that bring the story to life. Some of the other relationships in the novel (such as with her army General uncle) seem a little trite; their interactions are satisfying, but it is a little too convenient that when Natalia needs help she suddenly has an uncle who is a General.

Overall I really enjoyed the story. Though it felt a little jumpy, and skippy (like a scratched record) at times; some of the adjectives felt out of place, as if they were in the wrong context. This requires a higher than usual suspension of disbelief from the reader; while it is well worth it – if you can manage the necessary suspended disbelief – not everyone will be able to manage it. The building conflict also isn’t the only one, the major conflict is over and it is setting up for the happily ever after, but then it leads into the next conflict. My only concern here is that perhaps (for the sake of flow) the novel should have been broken down into two parts and released as novellas.

I would like to emphasise again that I really did enjoy Given Up On Love; I give it a 4/5 star review.