At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum Review

At The Sign Of The Sugared Plum

-       Mary Hooper

Publisher: UK – Bloomsbury

It is 1665 and Hannah is full of excitement at the prospect of her first trip to London. She is going to help her sister, Sarah, in her candy shop, 'The Sugared Plum'. But Hannah does not get the welcoming reception she expected from her sister, because the Plague is taking hold of London. However, Hannah is determined to stay and together the two young women face the worst-with the possibility of their own demise, growing ever closer.

This is the second book in two weeks I’ve read set in the 1600s and I have to confess this is the book that most vividly invokes the period. Mary Hooper is celebrated for her historical YA books and after reading my first book from her I can understand why. The writing is simple and elegant, effortless painting pictures, sounds and smells of the period. In fact I just fell in love with Mary’s style of writing and descriptions!

The story focuses on Hannah, a young girl from the country who moves to London to help her older sister in her sweetmeats shop just before the Great Plague hits London in 1665. Hannah is new to the city and through her eyes we can experience the everyday life of people at the time living in a crowded, prosperous city. I loved Hannah’s naivety and wonder at seeing the city for the first time. People are not frightened at first but slowly the tension mounts as rumours and disease spread. I loved the descriptions of preventatives and how the dead are dealt with as the situation slowly gets worse and the fear mounts. My usual read in both YA and adult involves the supernatural in one way or another, but this gracefully written historical story moved me more than many  supernatural stories have recently – I think I’ve been missing out on some truly wonderful story-telling. J

This is a truly enchanting tale with plentiful historical detail for those who care. There is creepiness from the disease acting as a menacing figure towering over Hannah and her sister. I’m so happy I have a selection of other Mary Hooper books to work my way through as I have found a new favourite!

Recommended for fans of Peter Dickinson and Cat Patrick. 9 out of 10.

Guest Review: Teacher, Teacher!

Once again, I have Sarah over to review one of her Transworld books! 

Teacher, Teacher

- Jack Sheffield

Publisher: UK - Corgi

It's 1977 and Jack Sheffield is appointed headmaster of a small village primary school in North Yorkshire. So begins Jack's eventful journey through the school year and his attempts to overcome the many problems that face him as a young and inexperienced headmaster.

The many colourful chapters include Ruby the 20 stone caretaker with an acute spelling problem, a secretary who worships Margaret Thatcher, a villager who grows giant carrots, a barmaid/parent who requests sex lessons, and a five-year-old boy whose language is colourful in the extreme. And then there's also beautiful, bright Beth Henderson, who is irresistibly attractive to the young headmaster...

Hello all, so, my third Transworld review, and I'm off on another totally different genre tangent - this time real-life memoir.  Teacher, Teacher describes Jack Sheffield's first year as a head teacher in a small school in Yorkshire in the '70s and is a very 'nice' tale.

There's nothing wrong with Teacher, Teacher - the kids are nice, the love story is nice, Jack Sheffield is nice, the...  well, you get the idea!  It just doesn't rock any boats.  The funny stories ellicit a smile, the sad ones a slightly misty eye, but it lacks any real emotional punch.  The main effect it had on me was a hankering for a bit more '70s school-life in modern-day schools - when kids could be kids and bake, climb, paint, swim, without Health & Safety and the PC brigade sticking their oar in.  Also, when teachers weren't bogged down by rainforest-loads worth of paperwork and could actually invest real time in getting to know and understand their charges.  Despite being a head teacher, Jack still had his own class to teach - something the modern-day head never gets to do!  (Ahem, education-sector mini-rant over....)

I have read better memoirs - James Herriott being my personal favourite - but Teacher, Teacher is a perfectly good way to while away a few hours without taxing the grey matter.  Be warned though, any teachers reading it might end up slightly green with envy by the end!  6 out of 10.

Throwback Thursday #27 - Under The Dome

This is a great feature that Melissa at My World...in words and pictures has been doing for a while and I wanted to jump on board! There are plenty of books out there I desperately want...

But what about all those wonderful books that are ALREADY on my shelves?

Under The Dome - Stephen King

On an entirely normal, beautiful fall day in Chester's Mill, Maine, the town is inexplicably and suddenly sealed off from the rest of the world by an invisible force field. Planes crash into it and fall from the sky in flaming wreckage, a gardener's hand is severed as "the dome" comes down on it, people running errands in the neighboring town are divided from their families, and cars explode on impact. No one can fathom what this barrier is, where it came from, and when -- or if -- it will go away. Dale Barbara, Iraq vet and now a short-order cook, finds himself teamed with a few intrepid citizens -- town newspaper owner Julia Shumway, a physician's assistant at the hospital, a select-woman, and three brave kids. Against them stands Big Jim Rennie, a politician who will stop at nothing -- even murder -- to hold the reins of power, and his son, who is keeping a horrible secret in a dark pantry. But their main adversary is the Dome itself. Because time isn't just short. It's running out.

I'm a fan of Stephen King's work - IT and Cell are two of the creepiest books I've ever read. So when this came out in paperback I snapped it up. And nearly broke my wrist! This is a mega-tome with nearly 1000 pages of writing and while I'm sure it will be worth it, I just haven't been able to face such a heavy weight in my handbag on my morning commute yet! This is one of those books I'm thinking of investing in the kindle version as well... Is it worth it though? :-)

Succubus Revealed Review

Succubus Revealed (Georgina Kincaid 6)

-       Richelle Mead

Publisher: UK – Bantam Books

Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations… to Las Vegas. The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for...

Succubus Blues, the first Georgina Kincaid book was the first Richelle Mead book I ever read and one of my favourite UF series. So it was with mixed feelings I picked up Succubus Revealed, the last book in the series as I was desperate to see if there was a happy ending for Georgina and Seth, but at the same time I didn’t want the journey to be over. I needn’t have worried as Richelle has produced the perfect final book.

Georgina is being transferred to Las Vegas – a succubus’s dream gig, but it means that she has to leave Seth behind. This time the focus is on Georgina and Seth as they work at their relationship and realise that Hell has been playing a very deep game with them.

I think this is the slimmest of the Succubus series, and one of the most character driven, but for anyone who has been following Seattle’s succubus there is much to savour. There are some great scenes with Seth’s family – particularly the nieces, which are very sweet without being saccharine and you finally get to see how much Georgina’s hellish friends care for her. Between Roman, Hugh and Carter, I can’t help by feel envious that she has such good friends!

I gobbled up this book like it was a bar of my favourite chocolate – smooth writing, delicious plot and a yummy long lasting aftertaste. I actually cried at least twice while reading as events unfolded and yet I wouldn’t swap them for anything. This series is not the most action orientated Urban Fantasy series out there but it has one of the most satisfying story arcs while leaving each book a satisfactory stand alone story. All past events are linked into this book and I have to believe that Richelle has the series planned in advanced – either that or she has a marvellous method of tying everything together at the last minute! J

Recommended for fans of Rachel Vincent and Kelley Armstrong. 9.5 out of 10.

Book Confession: One Year On - A Kindle Review

For my birthday last year a group of my friends clubbed together to get me a Kindle. I was so excited as it was completely unexpected and something I probably wouldn’t have purchased for myself at that time – the kindle was relatively new in the UK and I didn’t know anyone else with one. I know e-readers verses paper books is a major change both for readers and for the publication industry, so I thought I’d do a mini review of my first year with a kindle.





So a year after receiving my kindle and I have to confess it is one of my favourite possessions. I still buy physical books – especially for series I love – but in terms of practicality the kindle is fantastic. I don’t have to carry two books with me on the train when I’m nearing the end of one. It is lighter than most books – especially for the big tomes that I love to buy but don’t want to take up weight-lifting to read. I took it on holiday earlier this year and despite reading every day it never ran out of battery. Plus how fabulous is netgalley? I love having access to books ahead of their publication dates- and being able to read on the kindle is so much more comfortable than on the computer (which strains my eyes). The e-ink technology is great – it doesn’t hurt to read for long periods. As well as mobi files from Amazon, you can read pdf’s which is very useful.

I’ve not had any major issues with my kindle – I’ve only had to restart it once in a year and despite loading it with plenty of free and cheap books I’ve yet to fill the memory. And I have to confess I do like stroking the kindle as I read in the same way I do the cover of physical books!

But are there any drawbacks?

Battery life is pretty long but if you forget to charge it you can end up with nothing to read (as Sarah, my regular guest review discovered last week!). I’ve been lucky that it hasn’t happened to me, but there are mobile phone chargers out there that will work apparently. I miss seeing the covers of books and being able to read the back of them when I’ve finished a book. Also having books on the kindle does mean that occasionally an out of sight, out of mind mentality rules. Physical books stare at me from their piles around my flat, but I often forget exactly how many books I have on the kindle – and it is so easy to add new books all the time.

With the new cheaper, lighter Kindle format out in the UK and the Kindle Fire in the US, I don’t think the e-reader is going anywhere any time soon. In fact I’ve managed to persuade at least two friends to get a kindle in the last year! However, I will continue with my duel reading – both kindle and paper.

Which do you prefer? Have you avoided e-readers so far? Why? What do you think  the future holds for the reading experience? J

The Revisionists Review

The Revisionists

-       Thomas Mullen

Publisher: Mulholland Books

E-Arc with thanks to netgalley and Mulholland Books

Zed is an agent from the future. A place where all of the world's problems have been solved. No hunger. No war. No despair. His mission is to keep that way. Even if it means ensuring every cataclysm throughout history runs its course, especially one just on the horizon. Zed's mission will ensnare the lives of a disgraced former spy named Leo; a young lawyer, Tasha, grieving over the loss of her brother; Sari, the oppressed employee of a foreign diplomat; and countless others. But will he finish his final mission before the present takes precedence over a perfect future? One that may have more cracks than he realizes?

Zed is from the future, from a perfect society and has come back to our time in order to prevent time travelling terrorists from disrupting the past and stopping his society from coming into being. In the past he runs across a disillusioned lawyer struggling with her brother’s death in Iraq, a former spy now working for private business and a down trodden servant in a Korean diplomat’s household. These four characters lives swirl around each other, creating eddies and ripples which impact each other, even if they don’t always know it.

The setting for this political time-travelling espionage thriller is Washington DC – a town which deals in ideologies like currencies – and this is reflected throughout. Each character questions their beliefs at some point and no-one view point is ever decided as right – in fact each character’s sanity is questioned and there is no right or wrong - just a myriad of grey.

This wasn’t always an easy read, but it was fascinating. At first I struggled with the writing, expecting a more adventure driven story, but soon I was drawn into these people’s lives and their dilemmas. I can’t say I ever fully relaxed though and I was always aware I was reading rather than pulled along by the story. However, the story made me think and I was never tempted to give up. The ending was ambiguous and makes you question what has actually been happening. This is an interesting if never entirely comfortable view of the world today and if we are making it a better place for tomorrow,

Recommended for fans of Ken MacLeod and Robert Harris. 7 out of 10

My Book Haul/In My Mailbox

The Story Siren hosts a weekly meme where bloggers can share what goodies they've purchased/received this week. If you get a chance head over to The Story Siren and check out what everyone is up to!

This week my birthday books turnded up! And I think I got some good ones!

Counterfeit Magic - Kelley Armstrong

Kindle Book

The first rule of a supernatural fight club? Don't kill your opponent.
When the fighters come with lethal spells, werewolf strength and half-demon powers, that can be a lot tougher than it sounds. It's hard to attract talent if they know they might not leave the ring alive. So when fighters at a California club start dying -- it's bad for business. Witch detectives Paige Winterbourne and Savannah Levine take the case. Going undercover in the power-heavy arena of the fight club is a welcome change of pace for Paige, relegated to the role of The Wife as her husband struggles to find his place in his family's Cabal--the corporate Mafia of the supernatural world. As Paige is drawn deeper into new and dangerous corners of her world, she quickly discovers the greatest threat isn't the killer in her sights. It's something much, much closer to home. And this is one fight she can't afford to lose.

I'm such a big fan of Kelley Armstrong and this is one of the few books of her I don't have - but thanks to the magic of the kindle and some vouchers, I now have it! :-)

Silver Shark - Ilona Andrews

Kindle Book

Claire Shannon is a killer. She uses no weapons, only her mind.
Born on a planet locked in a long war, Claire is a psycher, a woman with the ability to attack minds and infiltrate a biological computer network where psychers battle to the death. But when the war abruptly ends, Claire must hide her psycher's ability to survive. She is deported to a new planet, a vivid beautiful place, where she meets Venturo Escana, a powerful psycher, whose presence overwhelms both her mind and her body. She thought she had left war and death behind, but now she must fight for her new life and this battle might just cost her everything...

Ilona Andrews Edge series and Kate Daniels are instan must buy for me so I couldn't resist a science fiction story by the husband and wife team either!

Stone Maiden - Ann Aguirre
Kindle Book

 Muir is a slave, the lowest of the low. Yet hers is a magic great enough to shake the earth, great enough to topple kings from their thrones … perhaps even great enough to free the gods from their ancient prisons—if only she can free herself first.

Ann Aguirre is rapidly turning into another must buy author for me - I love her Corrine Solomon books and I have Enclave and Grimspace on my TBR pile. This story sounds interesting and was only a couple of pounds on Amazon - sweet deal! :-)

Enthralled: Paranormal Diversions - Edited by Melissa Marr & Kelley Armstrong

Publisher: HarperCollins

A journey may take hundreds of miles, or it may cover the distance between duty and desire.
Sixteen of today’s hottest writers of paranormal tales weave stories on a common theme of journeying. Authors such as Kelley Armstrong, Rachel Caine, and Melissa Marr return to the beloved worlds of their bestselling series, while others, like Claudia Gray, Kami Garcia, and Margaret Stohl, create new land-scapes and characters. But whether they’re writing about vampires, faeries, angels, or other magical beings, each author explores the strength and resilience of the human heart.

There are so many fantastic authors in the anthology I just couldn't resist picking it up!

My Soul To Steal (Soul Screamers 4) - Rachel Vincent
Publisher: MIRA Ink

Trying to work things out with Nash—her maybe boyfriend—is hard enough for Kaylee Cavanaugh. She can’t just pretend nothing happened. But “complicated” doesn’t even begin to describe their relationship when his ex-girlfriend transfers to their school, determined to take Nash back. See, Sabine isn’t just an ordinary girl. She’s a mara, the living personification of a nightmare. She can read people’s fears—and craft them into nightmares while her victims sleep. Feeding from human fear is how she survives. And Sabine isn’t above scaring Kaylee and the entire school to death to get whatever—and whoever—she wants.


I loved Rachel Vincent's Shifter series so I've been collecting the Soul Screamer books but haven't started reading them yet. I think I'll wait until If I Die comes out in the UK and have a Soul Screamer week of celebration!

Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
Publisher:

Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that?
Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there. But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world -- and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

This is another one of those series I've been meaning to try forever! I know it's not a recent series but that just means if I like it I can read the whole series withour waiting! :-)

Street Magic - Caitlin Kiddredge
Publisher: St Martins Paperback

Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life  mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes—or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self.  But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey.  Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget—and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago…

I won a 'pick your own book' from the wonderful Felicia at The Geeky Blogger's Book Blog and I choose this as a certain Melissa out there adores this series - plus it's set in London! :-)

Pod - Stephen Wallenfels
Publisher: UK - Templar Publishing

POD's - strange alien spheres hover menacingly in the sky, zapping anyone who ventures outside. Josh is 15 and stuck in his house with his OCD dad. They're running out of food... Megs is 12, alone and trapped in a multi-storey carpark. The hotel next door is under the control of dangerous security staff, but Megs has something they want, and they'll do anything to get it...
When the aliens invade, the real enemy becomes humanity itself.
What would you do to survive?

This is actually another giveaway win - Templar Publishing's facebook page and sounds like a really intriguing Science Fiction YA story - I've read a couple of positive reviews so I'm really looking forward to this!

So what have you picked up this week?