Month: April 2020

Recent Reads: Meows and Mistletoe

Posted on by Pam

My review: ????

Meows and Mistletoe is a holiday anthology, all set in Cats Paw Cove.  It’s by a collection of authors, they are all in a cosy crime or cosy mystery style, and in this case, they are all Christmas themed.

Cats Paw Cove is a place where fantastical things can happen, so these are fantasy books, and I do enjoy cosy fantasy mysteries!  There are cats who know a lot, and in some cases, talk, there is the island where you can see fairies and so on, and there is a bit of time travel.

Because there are a collection of authors, these are all different characters, none of whom go between stories as far as I remember! 

I enjoyed the trip to Cats Paw Cove.  I hadn’t encountered this place before, and I haven’t heard of authors doing this before, but it’s such an interesting idea that many authors build up their own little town, and set stories in amongst it.  

You can visit Cats Paw Cove on Facebook, and they have their own website.

Meows and Mistletoe came out on 1 November 2019, and you can buy it from Amazon and Waterstones.

I was given this book in return of an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and to the authors collective.

I’ve reviewed quite a lot of fantasy books on here, so please have a look, and you can see cosy mysteries as well!

Recent Reads: Gloria Victis by Script by Juanra Fernandez and Art by Mateo Guerrero

Posted on by Pam

My review:  ????

Gloria Victis by Juanra Fernandez and Mateo Guerrero is set in Ancient Rome, when chariot raced by slaves would be careering around a track with hundreds of spectators all betting on who would win.  Think Ben Hur!

This graphic novel has the excitement of the race, and the risks to the drivers. We also see where the horses and charioteers are trained.

If you don’t know much about Ancient Rome, then this might be an enjoyable introduction for you.  You meet slaves, freemen, masters and mistresses.  You can see the problems that slaves and freedmen have with those who have power over their lives.

I thought this was fast paced and enjoyable.

Gloria Victis was published in 2017, and is available on Amazon. 

If you’re interested in graphic novels, have a look to see what else I’ve reviewed !

I was given this book in exchange for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley and Europe Comics for this book.

If you’re interested in seeing what else I’m reading, have a look at my GoodReads profile!

What I learnt from reviewing a Christmas film a day in December 2019

Posted on by Pam

Oh hello, this is a little later than I planned to publish this, but I thought why not do it any way!

So, if you weren’t here, in December 2019 I published a Christmas film review a day.   Why did I do it?  Because it sounded like a fun, different thing to do on my blog!

I watch a lot of Christmas films anyway, so I thought why not!  Turns out, 31 films is a lot!  

I went into it a little foolishly! I didn’t think about what my favourite Christmas films were, and plan when to watch those, not until 17th December, when it occurred to me that I had more Christmas films (thank you Channel 5!) than days left!   I had recorded everything on channel 5 that I could see as I was worried I wouldn’t see enough Christmas films early enough….Oh how wrong I was!

I wanted to have fantasy films as close to Christmas day as possible, because they make me feel magical!  I wanted to get Die Hard in there somewhere and I still wanted to watch them in order.  

I also realised I was just watching a lot of ropey hallmark Christmas films!  I had favourites that I wanted to watch!

I discovered some fun things, such as all the Netflix Christmas films are in the same universe!

So, I deleted a lot of ropey Christmas films that I had still to watch on my DVR (3 Christmas films a day on Channel 5 can give you a lot of films quickly!), and started planning things properly!

So, how did I do my reviews?  Some days I managed to get ahead with the reviewing, but other mornings, I was doing the review before it was scheduled to go out.  I felt pressure to be consistent in my timings, even though posts have very small readerships on them.

I discovered facebook scheduling, and used that, when I remembered!  I was trying to get used to writing the blog post, then scheduling Facebook.  i love instagram, but the scheduling doesn’t work in the same way.  With Facebook you can leave it to get on with it, instagram, you have to be around to press some buttons.  It’s nothing too arduous, as you get reminders on your phone, but still an obstacle in my head, apparently! 

Would i do it again – yes!  Would I plan what I was going to watch – oh yes! I didn’t really think about it beforehand!  Channel 5 having  a Christmas film a day in November is what prompted this, and we’ve gone from there.  I didn’t think there was that many Christmas films that I would have a lot of choices.  I was wrong!  Next year, I’ll leave room for new films, and plan the rest. 

Why 31 days, and not 24 or 25?  Completeness!  I am the type of person who starts podcasts from the beginning, and will often read a couple of books in order to review the third in a the series.  Who knows how many I’ll do this year!

So, there’s a glimpse into the behind the scenes for my Christmas film posts! I was also posting book reviews, and watching the films, so a busy time for me, blog wise!

If you’re interested, you can have a read of my Christmas films section!  Maybe you can give me recommendations for what I should watch this year!

Recent Reads: The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Posted on by Pam

My review: ????

The Guest List by Lucy Foley is a thriller that starts when things have gone horribly wrong, but only gives you a vague idea that things aren’t right.  You then get taken back to the start.

Jules and Will are the perfect couple.  She’s turned her blog into an online magazine, and he’s the star of a reality series that sees him pitted against the great outdoors.  Their wedding is happening on an island in Ireland, and is of course going to be the event.

We have a number of different points of view on the event.  Aoife, the wedding planner, whose Folly is where the event is happening. Hannah, the plus one, whose husband is Jules’ best friend.  Olivia, the half sister, who is the bridesmaid.  And last, but not least, Johnno, the best mate from school.

If you’ve read The Hunting Party (also ???? by the way) then you know to expect tense situations, secrets coming out, and people not being whom they seem to be, with things coming to a crashing head.

As you can tell, I’ve enjoyed The Guest List, just as I enjoyed The Hunting Party.  I would be very interested in reading more of Foley’s work!

The Guest List was published on 20th February 2020, and is available to buy on Amazon.  I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Lucy Foley on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

If you’re interested in tense thrillers, then here’s some others I’ve reviewed:

The Island by Ragnar Jónasson ????

Run Away by Harlan Coben ????

What She Found in the Woods by Josephine Angelini ????

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, and so my thanks to NetGalley, and to HarperCollins (the publishers) for this book. 

You can have a look on my GoodReads to see what else I’ve read!

Recent Reads: Miss October Script by Stephen Desberg and Art by Alain Queireix

Posted on by Pam

 

My review: ???

Miss October, Playmates 1961 is the first book in a series of graphic novels about a serial killer who kills young women, and is set in the 1960s.

Our main protagonist is Viktor, a young woman who was attacked and since then has been deaf.  She is also a cat burglar, something that she hides from her wealthy parents whom she lives with.

This was a fine piece of escapism, but I found some bits odd (you don’t know Viktor is deaf to begin with).  There’s nudity and sex in here, so not a graphic novel for those who might take offence.

I thought it was OK.  Not a series that I feel the need to continue and I found it a little confusing.

Miss October, Playmates 1961 came out in 2018, and is available on Amazon.

 I couldn’t find any social medial or websites for either Stephen Desberg or Alain Queireix.  I believe Stephen Desberg is Belgian, and has written other comics.

If you’re interested in other graphic novels, then have a look at the Graphic Novels I’ve reviewed!

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Europe Comics (the publishers) for this book.

You can have a look on GoodReads to see what else I’ve read, or am reading!

Recent Reads: How much of these hills is gold by C Pam Zhang

Posted on by Pam

My review: ????

How much of these hills is gold is a novel set in the wild west of America, during the gold rush.  It looks at Chinese immigrants, who you’ll probably have seen in films set during these times, building rail roads.

We follow two siblings, who are trying to survive in this harsh world, and flash back to their earlier childhoods, and their parents.

This isn’t a light read, but was a very interesting look at a time that has been so documented from the white cowboys point of view.

I enjoyed this book.  It’s a overwhelming experience of a different time and place, but one that is well written, and takes out to the wild landscapes described.  It’s a tale of siblings, their love, their rivalry, and their commitment to family, all set within a world that we’ve seen often in films and books.  It gives a lot of insights and gives a glimpse of what life was like.

How Much of These Hills is Gold was published on 9th April 2020,  and is available to buy on Amazon  and on  Waterstones.  The Waterstones link takes you to a signed edition!  I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

If you’re interested in historical books from a different perspective, then I think you’d enjoy The Confessions of Frannie Langton by Sara Collins.

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Little, Brown Book Group and Virago (the publishers) for this book.

 
Check out my GoodReads profile for more reviews.

 

Recent Reads: Wintering by Katherine May

Posted on by Pam

My rating: ?????

Wintering, How I learned to flourish when life became frozen, is a book that I read a little while ago, and only now, whilst writing the review in this time of Coronavirus, do I realise how needed this book is.

It’s about accepting that at times you need to withdraw, and that you can’t do everything with enthusiasm and bounce.  That at times you need to take time for you.

Katherine May discovers Wintering when she is ill, her husband is seriously ill, and when both of them are getting better, her son hates school, and she decides to home school him.

It was an enjoyable read when I was reading it just in the winter, and thinking about the idea of having time to recuperate, and not be angry at yourself for not being able to do everything.

And then Coronavirus has happened, and the world is mostly in lock down.  

This book looks at going into wintering, but also coming out of it.  There is hope, and there is certainty that things will get better.

Wintering was published on 6th February 2020 and is available on Amazon and Waterstones, and through your local bookshop!

You can following Katherine May on Twitter and through her website.

If you’re interested in self help books, then here’s some others that I’ve reviewed:

The Life-Changing Manga of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo ????

An Edited Life by Anna Newton ????

Hinch Yourself Happy by Mrs Hinch ????

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Penguin Random House, Ebury Publishing (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!

 

Recent Reads: In the Crypt with a Candlestick by Daisy Waugh

Posted on by Pam

My Review: ???

In the Crypt with a Candlestick is a cosy crime novel set in an English country house, with a murder to be solved.

Lord Tode has died, and Lady Tode has decided that she wants shot of the house, and all of the problems of being the lady of the manor.  She decides that her children won’t inherit – the eldest is called Mad Eckbert, the next son lives in Australia, and the daughter isn’t interested.  And so a cousin and his wife gets roped into it.

We see the story from a couple of points of view, and there is a fun cast of characters, as you can tell from Mad Eckbert’s name.  

It’s an enjoyable romp, in the style of cosy crime, and so you know that nothing too dramatic is going to happen.  I enjoyed it, but 

In the Crypt with a Candlestick was published on 20th February 2020, and is available from Amazon and Waterstones.  I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Daisy Waugh on Twitter and through her website.

If you’re interested in cosy crime books, you might also be interested in some others that I’ve reviewed:

The Ghost of Christmas Past by Angie Fox ????

The Mint Julep Murders by Angie Fox ????

The Liar in the Library by Simon Brett ???

Pecan Pies and Dead Guys by Angie Fox ????

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Piatkus (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my Goodreads Profile to see more reviews!

Recent Reads: Just Draw Fineliner Art by Liam Carver

Posted on by Pam

My review: ???

Just Draw Fineliner Art is a lovely book, full of pictures, and is aimed at people who can already draw. 

It has a lot of drawings, with the dimensions and the materials that have been used to make it, to help you understand how they did it, but this isn’t a step by step guide for how to create these yourself.

I’m afraid I don’t know enough about art for this to be as useful to me as I feel it would be, but the pictures were lovely, and I’m sure it will be great for those of you who are more talented artists!

Just Draw Fineliner Art was published on 3rd March 2020,  and is available on Amazon  and on Waterstones.  I’ve found a link to where you can search for local bookshops, including independent!

You can follow Liam Carver on Instagram or through his blog.

I was given this book for free in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to Quarto (the publishers) for this book.

Check out my GoodReads profile to see more reviews!