Book/Comic Review: Strong Female Protagonist

Starting originally as a web series, Strong Female Protagonist was backed by many on KickStarter to get it in print. Alison Green is one of the most powerful superheroes around, with incredible strength. She used to fight the bad guys with her other superhero friends under the name MegaGirl when she was a teen, but things got overwhelming and after publicly unmasking on tv, everyone knows her real identity. But now Alison is in college, trying to get good grades while also trying to fight crime at the same time. 

Now that everyone knows the real face of MegaGirl, its hard for her to have a burger in peace without people wanting autographs or shouting abuse at her on the street. No one really understands that being a superhero doesn't automatically mean you can fix everything for the world. Even her collage professor is failing her because of a personal grudge against her powers. As Alison lives life, she somewhat learns to come to terms with the positives and negatives of being a superhero. But the process is genuinely heartbreaking in places and this is - hand over heart - one of the first comics I might have shed a tear while reading. (And I've read some intense heart ache comic scenes.) Theres a real appeal to a superhero with amazing power and strength thats got lots of flaws too. - And a mom who calls at bad times when your in the middle of something important. 

 However at the beginning I found it dragged a little and there was nothing particularly attention grabbing. I think this is partly due to not knowing anything about the back story before starting it (which I soon found out was pointless in moaning about as the back story is wonderfully explained through out the comic, just at the right times) and partly because I was reading it from a digital copy on a crappy adobe reader. But stick with it, the best part was not only the main character being female with some fantastic minor characters, but I especially loved the funny foot notes that give back story, commentary on the characters, deconstruction of the panels or random jokes to add a giggle. On one page the author pokes fun at their attention to detail of chocolate bars. In short, the footnotes please me greatly and Brennan Mulligan is being bought a drink by me if he ever pops over to Ireland. Gas man altogether.

Theres so much back story that you become privy to as the story unfolds and even thought I had never read the web series, I never felt lost with the story. There is something for everyone to relate to with family, friends, relationships and even Alisons struggles with super villains. A Buffy mix with a little destructive She Hulk, this is the type of comic I will be a regular to in future. And of course, not leaving Molly Ostertag out, I found the drawing simply and easy to enjoy. There was no colour needed, with each panel flowing well and the occasional insert an added bonus. (Inserts in single panels can confuse the hell out of me. If I get any worse I'll need it numbered. Now that would be a sad day.) Theres no fussy extreme attention to detail and Molly seems more interested in telling the story, not distracting from it. 

Yup, all round big thumbs up from me. I got this from NetGallery, but I'll be getting a physical copy to add to the collection. I'll also be following them online, which you can find over here.

Book Review: The House That We Grew Up In

You know when life gets in the way of everything and even things that really left you with a strong opinion are all forgotten about? Thats how it was with this book. Life got in the way and this title went further and further to the back of my kindle, even though I couldn't put it down when I did read it. Ok, I'll admit that to begin with I was only reading this book because it was utterly dreadful and couldn't get me hooked. But man, I'm no quitter and I'm glad I stuck with it. Even all the way into the new year, I can still remember how good it was back when I picked it up in the summer. (although I read it again over Christmas, so I guess that was cheating a little.)

The house that we grew up in is based totally around the family home. The Bird's Colin and Lorelei lived there and brought up their four children, Rory, Rhys, Megan and Beth. They had parties in the kitchen, did homework in their bedrooms, had deep conversations in the sitting room and had egg hunts in the garden. This is a happy warm and inviting family, but theres something a little odd and nearly unsettling just under the surface that a finger can't quite be put on. Tragedy strikes and suddenly the reader can see more clearly each character. We are shown their flaws and the burdens that they each carry from growing up in the Bird house, but with each turn and twist they are never unlikable characters and you form an odd connection with them all.  

Despite this story being told in real time, flash backs and hopping from character to character, theres never a confusing moment in it and it flows beautifully. I found this really clever, how chaotic the story is - just like the family. However your never lost and can always find comfort in one or other voice telling you their thoughts. This is the opposite of a conventional household with quite a few taboo topics been discussed throughout the book like suicide, battling sexuality, divorce and mental illnesses. Once I got stuck into the book, there was never a dull moment and the ending is one of the best I've read in a long time. I'm normally one to give out non stop over how the ending didn't suit or impress me, but this was a total surprise and I loved it, even if it was a little sad.

I couldn't recommend this book enough if your one of those people who doesn't mind waiting a little while for the story to go pick up its pace. I loved every minute of this, how many topics were covered and how frantic the story could get, just as the characters were. There was always the right sense of feeling as I read through the story, which can be hard for authors to capture the reader like that. I especially loved the ending, I've not come away from a book so satisfied in a long time! A sad but really lovely and true to life story.

Book Review: The Quaker Cafe

I wasn't sure about this one after reading the story line. But what swayed me in the end was the cover and thoughts of a story centered around a coffee shop. After all a coffee shop in a small community is filled with nothing but gossip! And that it most certainly was. This is a genre I can't quite put my finger on, a little thriller, a litter murder mystery but a lot of general fiction as well. The story follows many of the characters, one main voice is Liz, whose a liberal from the Mid-West that marries into a conservative Quaker family and now lives in rural North Carolina. A lot of the time trying to raise her children in the faith of a Quaker lifestyle can be a challenge for her, especially when her mother in law constantly watches over her shoulder. 

In Liz's town of Ceder Branch, she has many friends that she leans on for support and to gossip about others with, even occasionally throw out the odd negative word or two about her in laws. But when one of her friends high politically standing father dies, Liz is forced to help pick up the pieces and in doing so, finds out secrets from the past that could threaten to dismantle the whole of her little town. A town that has a long history of racial tensions and wrong doings. While this is happening Liz must juggle her work and her family life. Her mother in law is more of a hand full then she can handle at the bet of times.

Suddenly a friend is diagnosed with cancer and some of the secrets Liz has found so hard to carry start spilling out in order to try and save a life, and to restore the good name of others. With the help of religion and the black and white communities, things can be done and the bad choices of others can start to be questioned, talked about and maybe even forgiven. But not without many troubles along the way. Trips to the next town to visit the hospital, the Easter parade float to make, weddings and trying to explain to the children how the dead hamster came to be, Liz has a lot to deal with. 

 Despite the heavy theme of religion in this book, I really enjoyed it (but saying that, there were a good few 'fuck you' comments towards religion that had me nodding and giggling away). There were some really amazing paragraphs and quotes that I even screen caped I was so impressed by the writing. I love the small town personalities that you meet throughout the story, even down to the man who sells peanuts all day, that just isn't quite right and the wonderful descriptions of the houses and shops. Some of the racism and sexism in the book is a little distressing, along with the theme of death. But there all something that has and still does happen in everyday life that you have to deal with, so it was interesting to read about the stereotype of rural North Carolina in that time. I really think this book review would have been easier to write if I wasn't so careful about giving spoilers away! But in summary, I think this could be one for everyone book shelves, a great and interesting read. 

Book Review: The Woman Who Stole My Life

I'm a fan of Marian Keyes, shes written some wonderful chick lits before and I will admit I was expecting great things when I got my hands on a copy to review. But had I not been determent to see this through I wouldn't have finished it at all. If I had bought it I'd be looking for my money back. That is, until I got about 100 or so pages in and wanted to know what happened next. And when I realised that, I was a little disgusted with myself. I'm not a fan of the style of writing, going back and forth between different tenses and times in the narrators life. I'm not a fan in the whimsical person who has nothing ends up with a fairytale life because there are so many of those horrendous books floating about. (although this was a wonderful twist on that theme). And as for self help books? You may as well be throwing your money in the bin if you buy one of those bloody things. But people who buy them always give me a giggle too - so the circle of life continues it seems.

Stella Sweeney has settled back into Dublin life after living a whirlwind dream in New York for a year, touring her new self help book all over the country. The problem now is her writers block, the constant procrastination, family problems and other things that life throws at her isn't helping matters. Her first book was an accident that came about after spending a long period in hospital, when there was nothing she could do but listen to her own thoughts being trapped in a silent, unmoving body. With two moody teenagers, a bossy sister and a husband who decorates bathrooms like discos for a living, Stella can't connect with them lying in a bed surrounded by tubes and nurses. The only one who seems to understand what shes trying to say and how she feels is a doctor who works almost daily with her, trying to understand how to make her well again. A doctor who ends up being a bigger part of her life then either could have ever believed.

As I said earlier, this book is all over the place with its tenses. We have before Stella's stay in hospital, when shes in there, her time after shes well again and then finally when shes living in New York touring her book, along with a little of what happens when she gets home. Its confusing and isn't as fluid as I would expect from a well known and well published author like Marian Keyes. With a big book like this, you would want to take some time over a weekend to read it all, otherwise I think you'd have a hard time picking up where you left off with all the chopping and changing of times in Stella's life. Its a pity as the story is actually really good if you can understand all thats happening. The other characters in the book were well developed and I took a particular shine to her father and her moody son. Even though your shaking your head at times over the stupid decisions and things that happen to Stella, you can't help but love this character and connect with her on some level.

As with many Irish authors, its lovely to read about places in Ireland that you know well and might even only be down the road from you. Making connections like that are even more enjoyable I personally find. Once I got a few hundred pages in I was totally glued to my kindle. Staying up late reading it or trying to juggle a hair brush, kindle and hair dryer in one go. As with all books I can't put down, I relearn why its not a good idea to walk and read at the same time. Falling over the hoover (and getting a massive sore bruise) or standing on the poor cat are the inevitable.  If you can put aside some pet peevs of story lines (self help books and fairytale 'making it') and occasionally having to scratch your head over what tense the story is in now, then I'd strongly recommend this one. You can reorder it on Amazon or find it in shops on the 7th of November. 

Book Review: Forever Yours

I've gone off reading a little since finishing this book, does anyone else get like that? I can go through like 12/15 books one after the other and then suddenly I have no desire to pick up another book for the longest time. I'm trying to find something lighthearted and trashy to read right now, but its hard to find anything good! I'm just in one of those funks.

I both loved and disliked this book. Hands down it was genuinely the most terrifying modern themed thing I have ever read. This was magical for me on many levels. The one that stands out most for me is the fact that I had to turn on the lights while reading this, I was that scared by the story. (I read it on my kindle which has a light, in case your thinking I'm sitting in the dark squinting at a dark page) I've read horrors, murder mysteries and the likes, but a book that seems to be more of a romantic.. thriller? And I had to finish the book all in one go. It was one of those sleepless nights anyway, so I was kept in good company. And then I disliked it for some of the same reasons. The content of the book, the slightly drawn out story and in some cases the poorly translated phrasing. 

Forever Yours is a story about the single Judith who owns and runs a light shop. She accidentally bumps into Hannes in a shop one day and it turns out they don't work so far from one another. Soon they start to bump into each other more often and it turns into coffee and dating. Hannes is every womans dream man and everyone in Judiths life is wowed by how wonderful he is. Judith herself can't believe her luck that such a charming and gorgeous man is interested in her. From how she acts when a compliment is given to her, its clear to see that confidance is lacking.

As wonderful as this man is, he soon starts to show signs of somewhat obsessive behavior, making his affections for Judith weary, oppressive and overbearing. Its lovely to be the apple of this mans eye, but can no one else see how he is beginning to act? Feeling isolated from family and friends, she tries to cut Hannes out of her life, but shes tormented by him everyday, even in her dreams. Why can't anyone else see the suffering he is causing her and how scary he is? Yet the minute something goes wrong in Judiths life, Hannes is there at the door waiting to make it all better again.

This was hair raising for me, a phrase I don't associate with when having read a book. It wasn't an amazing story, but the fear of the theme is what really made it for me. At the end of this story there is a moment that gets me in the feels in all sorts of ways, a real hurrah for the sexes kind of thing. And of course theres a big twist too, something else I liked about it. If more books were based on this type of topic I would never sleep again. One to put on your to-read list for sure.

Book Review: The Monster's Wife

To be perfectly honest I love myself an adaptation of a classic. Purely to scoff at and call bullshit to the lot of it, then read the original declaring that nothing, nothing! is better then a classic and there is no need to go fecking about with perfection. However I was actually pleasantly surprised by what I found in this book and I can't fault it for the fact that its taken the story of Frankenstein as its base to work from. In fact I really liked the character of the doctor in this one. And I never say that about the classics. Honestly, ask me about Pride and Prejudice and Vampires or the likes. Its a pleasurable pass time of mine to rip it to bits over a nice empty cuppa - I'm all about the crazy hand gestures and outbursts of rage when I get going. No hot drinks recommend!

Thats not to say however, that I don't have a few bones to pick with this book. (When doesn't she I hear you saying!) I would say I was roughly 75% through this before it became to hold my interest at all. I picked this story up twice before, starting it and not being able to get into it at all. On the third attempt I was determined to see if it got better, so I stuck with it. Apart from the poor (read: absolutely horrific) use of old language been thrown into the odd sentence to give it that 'feel' and the fact that you could have easily slashed half the story but still come out with a lovely piece of writing, it wasn't that bad. Needlessly long and drawn out, but alright.

Oona is the main character that we follow on her tiny Scottish island that isn't home to more then 30 people. Its set in the way back when times but theres no proper introduction to dates or years so I can only guess from the no electricity and petticoats that it wasn't any time recently. Oona lives with her granny, hens and dog - I was quite taken by the little details about her cock (rooster, you dirty, dirty minded people!) who was her favourite and even slept on her pillow. Oona is a sick girl who 'takes fits' and everyone knows that shes not going to live long, like her mother before her. May her best friend who is like a sister to her, they work together and spend all their spare time joined at the hip.

When Dr Frankenstein comes to the island May starts working at the doctors big house, cooking cleaning and doing all sorts for him. Oona soon follows and works along side her, but on the day of Mays wedding, Oona sits in the church with everyone waiting. May never comes and isn't seen or hear of again. Despite the intense search by all the islanders, no one can find her and people start to suspect Oona knows far more then she will admit. It rattles on for a long time until Oona finally discovers what happened to her best friend and what she has become.

Slight spoiler/trigger warning: I have to spoil one scene when saying that there should be a trigger warning with this book. I have searched many reviews and thoughts on this book and have yet to come across someone warning that there is a disturbing and violent rape at the later half of the book. I personally hate reading books with no warnings or triggers. I know it can spoil a story but I find the books that do state it, I'm happier to go ahead and read. Occasionally if I feel a book could be violent I'll do a quick search, but I'm a little annoyed theres nothing that I've found so far online about it. (I just went off on a rant there, sorry!)

I'll hold my hands up here and say this was a hard one for me to follow. I didn't read the blurb before I started reading and I'm glad I didn't - it just gave far too much away! But then I wonder if I had read it would I have been less confused. Here is a perfect example of why I included 'blonde' in my blog title. Right now, I'm having one of those blonde moments. Leaving the headache inducing confusion aside, would I recommend this book? No. No I wouldn't. If your a lover of Frankenstein then perhaps, as it does portray a wonderful character of the doctor, but for the rest of us? I'd leave it up to individual taste.

What have you been reading lately? Could you recommend me something?

Book Review: Carnival

I'll be honest, it was the colours on the cover of this book that drew me in first here. What put me off was the two people in a classic sexy pose. I may love erotica but man, do they have to put cringey pictures on the front? Wheres the muscle man on a horse and the half dressed damsel in distress swooning towards him? Anyway, things that make me rant for hours on end aside, this is a girl meets bad boy story. Just the kind of thing I needed after reading a good few thrillers and murder mysteries.

We follow Charlie who has just graduated from high school and should be off to college, but her parents have split up and shes worried about her mother who barely moves from the couch, preferring to have The NoteBook on repeat. Charlie decides shes better off staying in her small town then venturing off into the big wide world. As her friends pack their last few things for their college dorms, Charlie visits the carnival thats come to town. There she meets Blue, the most gorgeous guy shes ever set eyes on, who also happens to be a carnie. She plans to see him again, but wants to keep his job out of conversation from family and friends. He can't be all bad boy, or can he? He leaves the carnival life and stick around for the girl hes fallen for and Charlie soon finds out his secrets. But she might be a little blinded by love.

I have a love/hate relationship with this book. I'm a big fan of the bad boy story line and I love the shots of erotic scenes that you stumble across every now and then. Not to mention the young love is forever and unbreakable, le sigh. But the story gets very far fetched and I actually got a little sad as it could have been almost believable if the author didn't just throw in all the stereotypes at once. Its also hard to not be a little annoyed over Charlies 'I'm a big girl now, I'm an adult and 18. I can do what I want!' carry on and thought process. I know we are/were all like that at one stage, but I don't particularly want to read about it for an entire book.

One last thing that I couldn't ignore as it left me scratching my head, was the minor story line at the beginning talking about Charlies mother and father breaking up. Its all doom and gloom, but suddenly half way through the book the mother picks herself off the couch and continues on with life as normal, without any explanation. It seems like the author forgot how she was acting when she was introduced to the reader. Major WTF?! moment for me, and not in the good way.

Overall I didn't find this totally awful, as I said I love the odd bit of erotica, the mystery of a bad boy who can sweep anyone he chooses off their feet and the big love in a small town. The author - apart from Charlies mother - does a good job of introducing likable and easy to remember minor characters and the story flows well. Its easy to pick up at any point and remember the characters, something I personally can find hard to do with some books when there are just too many names or characters that aren't memorable. If I was to rate it, I'd give it 6 out of 10.  

Book Review: The Good Girl

Not to belittle the content on NetGallery, (or whats out there in the book shops) but its not often I come across a book that makes me wish I hadn't read it so fast. That it wasn't over quite so soon. This was indeed one of those books and to make it even more shocking, it was a debut novel, this author has never published a book before. Even before I tell you about the book I strongly recommend you put this on your reading list, its something special. I was kindly given the chance to read this before its release date. You can pre-order it for its release date on the 1st of August here. 

Mia Dennet is the daughter of a judge and a 'home maker' mother. Her older sister followed in her fathers steps and has made him proud, while Mia is an inner city art teacher, the black sheep of the family. Mia is currently dating a near non existent boyfriend, who one night calls last minute to cancel a date instead of meeting her at the bar where she takes the call from. Mia instead leaves with a smooth talking stranger after a few too many drinks, thinking that he will be a safe one night stand, but Colin is anything but. 

Colin has been following Mia for days now. He knows where she lives, works, who she sees, where she gets her groceries. ''I don't know the colour of her eyes or what they look like when shes scared, but I will.'' His job is simple. Kidnap her and deliver her to his employers, but somewhere along the way Colin decides things are not going to go as planned. This wild extortion plot just went off the rails and Mia isn't about to walk free. Instead they hide out at a secluded cabin in Minnesota and Mia is close to loosing her mind from fear and trying to figure out what this man wants with her. Will Mia's mother Eve and Detective Gabe Hoffman be able to find her?

This was such a great read. The story is told with each chapter going back and forth from about four main characters, before and after Mia's kidnapping. It sounds like it could be hard to follow, but its really well done, clearly marked and written perfectly. It flowed but parts were a little drawn out - maybe that could just have been my own impatience in wanting to find out what happened next in the story. I loved how the author managed to sway my emotions along with the characters and I was literally left sitting on the edge of my seat at times. Despite the simple idea of a girl being kidnapped and held by a man, it was full of twists and kept me eager to turn the next page, while also establishing good side stories that interconnected so well with the main story. My little heart was fit to burst and yes, by the end of the story I was in tears. Oh all the emotions!

I was blown away by the story line, I wasn't expecting anything that happened and the twists of the plot still have me reeling from them. Just wow - and its not often I'll ever say that about a book. Its rare for me to find a really good book that I have nothing negative to say after reading it and rarer still that I'm more then ready to tell anyone who will listen to read it. Consider this post me shoving the book at you and demanding you give it a go!

Book Review: Prime Deception

I was approached by the author Cary Jones to read and review her new book Prime Deception via Net Gallery. I was really delighted to be asked to review a book as it would be my very first and not just one that I had bought and read myself. I naturally accepted straight away and downloaded it onto my kindle - a really handy function that a lot of the books on Net Gallery have. I'm not a big fan of reading a long book from my laptop, major square eyes!

This book is in the romantic thriller category, which means I was even more delighted to be asked. I'm mad about a bit of romance or a little erotica, me. (And don't go tutting, I know everyone loves a bit of a dirty read!) The book starts with Lorna who has been having an affair with the Prime Minster of Britain for the last six months and now she has committed suicide, or so says the coroners report after shes found dead in her car. But her twin sister Laurie is certain that her sister wouldn't kill herself, she was too full of life and loved living. Laurie heads off to London to seek out the truth, which means that she has to ask some hard questions that aren't easy to get an answer for. Unless your the Prime Minster that is. 

I have to say, when I read the blurb for the book I thought it sounded like it could be a really good read. The above paragraph has given nothing away about the story thats not in the blurb by the way, which I find a little odd as you could almost guess the entire story just from that alone. None the less I enjoyed the concept of the story, how well the reader got to know the characters and how the story developed. That was all good and fine up to a point when the story started to drag. It hit a point where the same sort of information was been fed; each character was sad that Lorna had died... How they had to wait for new information.. How alike the twins looked... How sad everyone was.. How they had to wait for new information. Did I mention how... Yeah, you get my point. There was one moment in the book where Laurie complains to the Prime Minster about them getting nowhere and how waiting was painful and making her impatient, which I had to laugh at considering the irony.  

In the end, I actually skipped a lot of pages which is something I never do. The book itself is 304/248 pages long - depending on what site you read it from, but as I had it on my kindle it was 3085 pages long because I have the letters massive (I can never find my glasses!). I skipped 80 pages near the end only to discover I could still understand the story perfectly and nothing much had changed. (Someone do the maths on the page count and understand that I skipped a feckin' load of pages.) There was an odd twist at the end which was great for the story considering it lost my attention with the repetition of the story line. 

Overall I thought it was a good read despite long dragged out parts and the weird pervy parts about twins, I'm glad I read it. Would I recommend it to a friend? I doubt it very much. You would have to be the sort to appreciate a book that had equal good and bad parts to it - But then again I know a surprising number of people who enjoy books like that! You can download it on Amazon here.

*I did not pay for this item, it was a PR gift.  Please see my disclaimer here. 

Sex Criminals: Volume One #1-5

I'm a lover of comics and graphic novels. I guess you could call me a bit of a in the closet nerd, if you will. But I really hate the term nerd, I feel like its a negative word that some people now have branded themselves in order to appear more unique and cool. So I guess I'm just someone who likes DC, Marvel and the likes. I get off a little on picking up my comics on Wednesdays (new comic day!) and running home to read them. Today I want to talk about the graphic novel, Sex Criminals. Spoiler alert: You need to go buy it, like, yesterday. In future posts I'd really like to talk more about comics, so heads up!

This monthly crime comic is written by Matt Fraction and drawn by Chip Zdarsky (- incidentally if either ever read this, I'm totally up for marriage. Or like, dating? I'm not fussy.) Published by Image Comics, one of the creators dedicate the book 'to anyone, anywhere, at literally any time in human history who ever who rubbed one out'. How could you not love a novel that starts with something so wonderful? The ongoing story follows Suzie the librarian and Jon the actor, in their incredible adventure of stopping time - by orgasaming. Your brought through snippets of past and present, getting to share their back stories about their sexual experiences, their cringe worthy dates and their understandable confusion. Not being able to talk to anyone or find answers as to why when they orgasm, time stops. Is it the same for everyone, or are they freaks?

I'm really enjoying this comic, I love how they not only manage to bring such relatable problem to light, but they can make it light hearted and at times very funny too. Theres no 'smut' in this, no sir. Who hasn't gone through that brief (or long) crisis of confusion about your body, about sex and about who the hell you can go to, to talk about all the really embarrassing burning questions? Come on, I have my hand up here. This great story is accompanied by really gorgeous and well drawn graphics. I love this type of drawing style and Zdarsky has perfectly captured not only magical moments of 'The Quiet', but how I imagine the characters would look from reading the story and learning about their personalities. Lots of content sighs going on here. 

Suzie needs to save her books and Jon has just the plan to become criminals. Sex criminals that is.

If you fancy following this comic you can get the graphic novel for about €15 in Forbidden Planet - or online for cheaper! (just sayin'). Issue 6 is currently out this month so you have no lost issues in between. I know, I think its cool too. 

Book Review ''Sexually I'm More Of A Switzerland''

  

A few weeks ago I was In the Square having a grand aul time in SuperDrug. I mean we all know how much I like beauty related things, oh yes! But what did I happen to stumble upon when I  left SuperDrug? A book shop that had discounted books for sale. I'll admit, I got a tad over excited at my second favourite thing in life and spent the next hour picking out a few in the 2 for €5 section. One of the books I picked up was ''Sexually I'm More Of A Switzerland''. After I finished reading this book I realised that this was a squeal and I also had the first in my bookcase They Call Me Naughty Lola! 

Both of these books are full to the brim with lonely hearts ads taken from The London Review Newspaper. They are funny, like laugh out loud funny and I honestly couldn't help but giggle with every page I turned. These men and women have taken the odd ball approach in order to try and attract a friend/lover/person to talk about specialist tiny battles that happened hundreds of years ago/Their cat/Their parents/what position to have sex in and much more. These are the type of books that you really need hanging around on your book shelf, not because they are educational or classics, but because are light hearted and they will make you happy. They are so easy to read and you can pick them up on any page without needing to follow a story line. 

Its also kind of refreshing to read a good old fashioned type of 'looking for love' personals ad in a newspaper instead of the likes of tinder and okcupid that are big in the world of single people today. If I decide to put myself out there and look for love, I think I'll try my hand at the singles page in the paper and see what kind of responses I get. I might even take inspiration from one of these ads and make it sound a little funny, if not totally scary!

What have you been reading lately?

Book Review: Guilty Pleasures

Before everyone runs off thinking this is some sort of erotica you can think again. Get all your minds out of the gutter! This is the first book in a series and theres something like 22 so far, so don't say you weren't warned if your thinking about picking it up only to realise theres a billion more - I just hate when that happens to me! A friend (Hello poodle!) gave this to me to read so she could talk about the story with someone. I wasn't really interested in it to be honest as murders and scary things are not my thing at all, but when I read the first page and the first line 'Willie McCoy had been a jerk before he died. His being dead didn't change that.' I was kind of intrigued by the dark humour and only a few pages after I was totally hooked. 

We meet Anita Blake who is a kick ass girl in America. She is both an animator (raises the dead) and working for the FBI on supernatural investigations as she is considered a vampire expert. Vampires are legally citizens so killing them is murder, but not everyone is so easy to catch. Anita is not too fond of vampires, thinking of them as the walking dead - something thats not politically correct. 

We follow Anita through her daily life, which leads her to being the designated driver for her friends bachelortte party that is, oh man, been held in a strip club called guilty pleasures. But this isn't any ordinary strip club, the line up exclusively features vampires and is owned my a very old and strong 'master' vampire, Jean Claude. After things go all wrong that night Anita now has no choice but to save her friends life by helping solve all the sudden murders of vampires that have been going on.  She is kidnapped, terrorized and beaten until she is thrown to the feet of the master vampire, Nikolaos. This is one scary master and despite her promising to keep both Anita and her friend alive until the murders are solved, she has to battle for her life on a regular bases. Can she solve these murders before she and friends are killed? 

This was just such a great book, I really loved the character of Anita and how she was portrayed as strong and capable even when faced with the super human strengths and dangers of vampires. I also liked how she was a female with no real continuous male support, as its so hard to find a story that doesn't involve the female character falling at some guys feet one way or another. ( - this could be slightly debated and I'm open to it! but for me she was a one woman show) I also liked that this was a book with vampires that had no sex in it, wow! Don't get me wrong, there was plenty of sexual tension but no one actually ever got it on. Go team for not doing the stereotypical assumed dirty, especially with a title like guilty pleasures. 

I did the bold thing and googled the series and found out some spoilers but of course I wont give anything away, only that in later books some say that it starts to go downhill and the sex scenes take over (it was too good to believe that a strong independent female could just be that without loads of sex thrown in the mix) and if your not into that sort of thing book 10 is the last one you should read up to.  If you fancy checking the first book out you might be able to read it for free by finding a PDF. But shh, I haven't told you that.

Book Review: Revange Wears Prada; The Devil Retuns

I am a massive fan of The Devil Wears Prada, so when the squeal came out I was hesitant about reading it. If it didn't live up to my expectations it would be totally awful, hate when that sort of thing happens! But I couldn't resist Andy and her world for too long.

Its been nearly a decade since Andy quit her job working for the dreaded Miranda at Runway Magazine. Since then she has become the best of friends with the girl she once hated, Emily. Together they bonded over their shared hate for their old job, who could stand working like a slave at Runway anyway? They now have set up their own high end wedding magazine called the Plunge and its rising through the ranks, getting lots of notice from big names.

Not only are things working out in her career, but Andy is off down the aisle to marry the man of her dreams, Max. He is successful, high in society and to top it all off, drop dead gorgeous.  But just before the wedding she learns some devastating news that could effect the rest of her married life. What the hell is she going to do about her new in laws? And are the days of fearing Miranda Priestly really over or are old ghosts catching up on her?

I think I loved the idea of this book more then the story itself, it was kind of a let down if I'm honest! I would say to anyone who really enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada to pick up this just to continue on the story, but for first time readers maybe stay clear! I did enjoy how the book portrayed that women can be strong and stand on their own two feet, unlike some books where women need a knight in shining armour in order to deal with life. A few surprises that too that mostly made it worth the read. This was £3.99 on kindle that you can get on Amazon. 

More book reviews:

Hurry Up And Wait

No-One Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday

The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year

Take A Chance On Me

Book Review: Amazing And Extraordinary Facts Ghosts

Keeping on the theme of Halloween, I want to tell you all about my latest book Amazing and Extraordinary Facts Ghosts. When I was last in the value book shop in town I spotted this and picked it up for just €5. 

This is a fun and scary read explaining the definitions of different ghosts and what sort of people go after them. There are short stories about all different types of happenings both from modern day and from long ago. All of them have historical reference such as all the scary things that have happened in the Town of London. 

This is a really easy read as the stories are short enough that you can put it down and know your not going to be lost when you pick it up again. Get in the mood of Halloween and pick up this or something else scary to read!

You can win a copy of Dracula in my Halloween giveaway!

Book Review: No-one Ever Has Sex On A Tuesday

Stephen got me an Amazon voucher and naturally I spent it on books because honestly, what else is Amazon for? I got No-one Ever Has Sex on a Tuesday for £1.99 on kindle. I downloaded the first few sample chapters and knew it was going to be good. This is Tracy Bloom's first book and it has stayed in the top 100 best sellers list for over 115 days, go girl!

We follow Katy who is a 36 year old girl with it all under control. House owner, successful job with the best and very fabulous gay friend Daniel. But the cherry on top, Ben the much younger PE teacher boyfriend. He makes inappropriate jokes, has immature friends and tends to be covered in mud and foul smelling sports clothes when hes finished work. Hes not the sort of guy Katy planned to spend the rest of her life with, after all he is just a bit of fun. Its nothing serious and they haven't even bothered with the 'L' word its that cool and relaxed. Katy couldn't imagine herself with anyone really, not since her childhood sweetheart Matthew, who ended their long distance relationship in a not so pleasant way. But life goes on and Katy never has to set eyes on Matthew again, or at least not until they meet a their school reunion. Its emotional and fun to reconnect after so long with a lot left unsaid and soon a one night stand leads to the big dilemma. Katy is now pregnant and she doesn't know if Matthew or Ben is the dad. Right so.

Katy doesn't set eyes on Matthew again until she is eight months pregnant walking into her first antenatal class while he sits beside his heavily pregnant wife. This book was a lovely and funny read that had you wanting to turn page after page to see what new kind of trouble Katy was getting herself into next. Tracy Bloom has managed to create a lovable character that is easy to relate to and have empathy for even if her situation is a little on the tricky side and not everyone can say they have been in her shoes. 

I think what I loved most about this book was the sort of feelings Katy had with these two different men. I could relate to some of her old love sick feelings she felt for her ex Matthew, I mean we have all been there and know what it feels like to see the guy who hurt you again. Or the current flame Ben, who is so sweet and fun but you get the impression that Katy feels he isn't the guy to bet on and she doesn't know where she stands with him. 

If you want an easy going read about a girl who wants to protect her heart and keep her life on track with all its twists and turns then this ones for you. Because we all know that life never turns out the way we plan it to. Its a must for the book shelf!

What are you reading at the moment?

Book Review: Hurry Up And Wait

This was a book that I had read an excerpt of, read reviews of and drooled over while continuously hunting online for a cheaper price then what was on Amazon kindle. But no, visiting the page everyday to see if the price had gone down any was not the way to go, so I left it on my wish list for a few months and almost forgot about it. That was, until I went on a mad 'lets buy everything in sight that I've wanted for months spree' that I remembered it and bought it for (a slight ouch of) £3.29 kindle price.

Hurry Up And Wait is the second book Isabel Ashdown has published and I must say, after all the hype and my own anticipation I was a little let down. If it wasn't for some of the very adult themes, I would be recommending it for the younger section in the book shop. There are loads of 80's references that I'm certain are totally lost on me, but for some I'm sure it would be a lovely trip down memory lane. We start by meeting present day Sarah Ribbons, a bundle of nerves on her way to her school reunion. It seems clear that its more then young lost loves and old school friends that shes anxious about seeing. Something bad happened that last school year, that last summer. Now Sarah has to go back to face those ghosts she thought she could run away from. But what happened?

  We are set in 1985 following the life of Sarah Ribbons, a fifteen year old in the last year of school who is on the long and difficult path of friendships, boys, relationships and how to drink coffee because its cool and boys think its very mature. We meet her two best friends Kate and Tina, who one month can't get enough of her company and the next stand outside the bathroom stall saying dreadful things about Sarah while she hides behind the door. But if you were ever a teen girl you would regard this sort of behaviour as perfectly normal.

As Sarah celebrates her birthday with her elderly father and little dog, we are at the beginning of a coming of age journey. Older boys, tough homework, a summer job, the new and exotically named Dante, family troubles and more. The trials of becoming a more mature teen are hard enough to face on her own but then Sarahs dad is taken to hospital after falling ill and Sarah has to stay with her friend Kate for a few days. But when something truly awful happens Sarah knows things will never be the same again.

This was a very ordinary even paced teen story of everyday life and I think thats what makes the darker themes more shocking and unsettling. Personally I prefer books with a more face paced and fuller story line, so I am biased here. I think if I was to read it again I might appreciate it and grasp the underlining tones more,  getting something different from it.

What are you reading at the moment?

Book Review: Take A Chance On Me

I got this book in the in charity shop along with two others for €2, big spender right? So because I was in a bit of a girly mood I picked up the cheesiest romance novel I could find that had the most girl meets boy story on the back, and I came away with Jill Marsell's If you haven't found the one Take A Chance On Me. 

This story follows Cleo Quinn in the English countryside of Channing's Hill where she has lived all her life and now works happily as a chauffeur for a limo service. She has found the man of her dreams, gorgeous attentive and smart Will. Next pops up the old childhood enemy Johnny who bullied and made a fool of her in school. And she still remembers it. Hes now a big shot sculptor, rich, not to mention very good looking. Everyone in the little town loves him and women are just short of openly drooling, but Cleo is immune to his ways, thankfully. 

After all those 'charming' men we get introduced to the best friend, Ash. He lives next door to Cleo and is a real pet who is a very popular DJ for the local radio, his only problem being he is nothing like his on air personality when he meets an attractive woman, que the awkwardness! And then of course there is the sister, lovely solid Abbie and her equally lovely and solid husband. Or so it seems but then things kind of go pear shaped with the perfect couple just as we wave goodbye to the now awful Will.  

I'm sure you can now guess there is a new love interest involved and there are lots of thing happening in the village of Channing's Hill to keep all the residents on their toes. Will Cleo be able to overcome her dislike of poor Johnny? And whats going to happen with Abbie now that she has to move out of her home and away from her husband. Can Ash get over being tongue tied around beautiful women or will he head to Australia just as its too late?

In the end I liked this book and even got a bit must-not-move-until-I've-finished, but I wouldn't be quick to re-read it like some books. This was a nice, easy read and the story line was simple enough that you could pick it up on any page. Not a crazy fan of this one though, being predictable and a little slow to develop. It is relatable and has somewhat of a Bridget Jones feel in parts but not in a laugh-out-loud way. Picking it apart? If there was one or two side love interests before Cleo goes head first then I think it would have worked better. Oh and the side line story with Ash dragged an extra 80 pages out. Oh well, it was something I hadn't read before! I have another Jill Marsell book to read so perhaps that one will do better justice to her writing abilities.  

What are you reading at the moment?

Book Review: The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year

Read it in the bath with a nice candle!

After spending one of my many 'lets see what I can't have' evenings roaming through kindle books, I came across this lovely one. Its £4.99, not the sort of price I find reasonable at all. (Then again, when your used to picking up 3 books for €2 in the charity shop like I am, not a lot looks like a bargain.) But Stephens lovely mammy lent it to me after us chatting about books we wanted or had read. So heres a little review for you all.

Sue Townsend is no stranger to most of us thanks to her best selling book The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole 13 3/4. Since then she has written many a wonderful story, including The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year in 2012. In the funny and weird romance novel we follow the life of Eva, a wife and mother who has had enough of the world. In the middle of the day she gets into bed and doesn't budge again for well, a year. Her husband Brain is a man of science and hasn't the patiences or time to indulge his wife in her odd behaviour when he is hungry and can't find a clean shirt. Brian calls his mother and Eva's, convinced shes having a break down. But nothing will help to get the woman from her bed. 

Meanwhile the twins are off to college for the first time and not only are they lacking social abilities but they are the stereotypical maths geniuses. Things naturally get crazy in college and its just as bad back home with Alexander the handyman dismantling Eva's bedroom for her. Everyone has a few skeletons in the closet that are all about to be found at once. My god this book is a bit of a whirl wind but I just couldn't put it down. Throughout the book we are introduced to a range of characters that we get to know as part of this very dysfunctional but none the less loveable family. Its really family life to the max, bursting from cover to cover. Neighbours talk, strangers seek Eva's advice and the burning question remains; why has Eva gone to bed?

This is not a book to read on the bus if you don't fancy getting looked at for laughing hysterically like I did. There are some real gems inside these pages and its a book that make you sit back and think. And of course who hasn't had a day, week or month in their lives where they would rather stay in bed then face the difficulties of the world. In the middle of this modern world that Eva looks at, there are some pointed questions we take away. If I was to pick apart this book I would say my issues with it are the very unbelievable parts at the ending with the twins and the lack of closure with Eva. But overall its worth a read, even better if you can find it in the charity shop!

What are you reading at the moment?