Elizabeth

I thought for a long time I didn't like Harry Potter, after having read this book, and then I thought I should get over that and give the series a go, starting with a re-read of the first book. Screaming fans over the world might have a point, right?

This was not the book I remembered, and I really enjoyed reading it.

I enjoy a good YA dystopia but this one was a little too much grounded in reality for me. Rather than some futuristic or post-apocalyptic world, this could happen tomorrow. Every time I thought things couldn't get worse, the shit completely hit the fan. It scared the pants off me, and I loved it. You should read it.

I wouldn't have picked this up if it hadn't come as part of a Humble Bundle. I loved the ideas in some stories (putting yourself into a book? Brilliant.), and skipped quickly though others (vampires, mainly). Glad I read it.

Having already been a regular blog reader, and having read all this before (as well as the introspection that is touched on here, but expanded later on the blog), this book wasn't as great as I wanted it to be. I already went on that journey with Wheaton.

But I do always like to read the backstory of blog posts, and especially how we spin writing to make ourselves look better or hurt less. I did enjoy the explanation of the blog posts part of the book.

And I am glad Wheaton came to the point where he could embrace his life on a spaceship, and his life beyond.

It's about time I read this. Also, fucking pigs.

Soames Forsyte, STFU.

This was recommended as being something fans of [b:The Hunger Games 2767052 The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) Suzanne Collins http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1337857402s/2767052.jpg 2792775] would enjoy, and I think it is even better than that trilogy. The world feels more believable, although Tris becoming a badass in the space of a few days is highly improbable. I'm always a fan of girls kicking ass and taking names, however improbable. A quick and enjoyable read, and I'll be reading the trilogy (when it's published!)

Thank goodness for this book or I would have given up on A Song of Ice and Fire completely. It felt like more happened in the first 100 pages of this book than the whole of the previous book, and the hits just kept on coming. I ended up finishing the epilogue at 1am with a “What the Actual Fuck, GRRM” moment (in a good way!). A series redeemer, although I have heard that this installment is actually the best of all of them written so far, so I'm hoping it's not all downhill from here.

Crying all the tears.

I think it's a bit misleading to call this ‘A Steampunk Novel of the Crimean War', given that the ‘war' part only feels like about 5 minutes at the end of the book. It follows the story of 3 (sometimes 4) groups of people who eventually meet up during the war - it is essentially a tale about the the different journeys these people take. It is a fun, silly, steampunk-y book that never really resolves the story of who these people are and what they're doing, but I enjoyed it anyway.

While it often seemed the author had a checklist of fantasy genre cliches and made sure she ticked them all off over the course of the story. Girl has mysterious powers she didn't know she had! Girl gets a wise older man with shady past for a mentor! Girl has unexpected first period! Her parents were killed by the bad guy! etc.

I didn't see the point in being reminded three times that Maerad was a girl and had to bleed every month. If it was a not-a-girl-not-yet-a-woman thing, we got that with the first mention. If it was a passage of time thing, surely there are other ways to do it? I don't object to periods (well, I do, but that's because I'm a girl too), but it seemed more than a little weird.

But I am trying to like books despite their flaws, instead of dismissing them because of their flaws, and I will be reading the second in this series. I do appreciate a strong female character and this book has one, and overall the series has potential.

Reading this book highlighted just how good the television series was - I already knew most of the stories. The charaterisation of Sister Evangeline didn't sit well with me, it seemed that the author went out of her way to uncharitably point out the humourless, damp, uneducated side of her, with no real insight into the person she really was (although as she pointed out, Sister Evangaline didn't have the time of day for her, so it's possible she never discovered who the Sister really was.)

I spent a lot of time waiting for GRRM to hurry up and get back to the characters I actually was interested in, but of course by the time I got to the end I was ready to buy book 3 and keep going. It's not the best thing I've read but it doesn't entirely suck.

I am pleased see that I have the same opinion of this book as a lot of other reviewers - clearly not Tamora Pierce's finest work. For such a short book it took me a long time to trudge through it.

I don't think I've ever met a 4 year old who would sit still in her corner and play with her dolls all day, for days on end.

I think Briar is my favourite of the four, and I would really like to see more of this story of him, Rosethorn and Evvy.

I think this book could have used some more input from an editor, there were definitely some scenes that could have been cleaned up, for example towards the end of the book the need for characters to internally debate a point for 3 or 4 pages, and then have other characters bring up the same point 3 or 4 times got tedious. We know Richard won't marry Bess, why labour the same point with the same argument in 4 different instances within such a short amount of pages? At least the other repetitions - Elizabeth Woodville's cunningness, Edward's getting fat and unhealthy, the Princes in the Tower - were all spread out a bit.

Some of the anachronisms in descriptions annoyed me (one character thinking about something as ‘newfangled', one description of ‘static electricity' etc).

But, minor criticisms. Overall it didn't suck (because I finished it), but I don't think I would read again.

I really enjoyed Kira's story, but the Shargh bores me to tears. Chief sees girl he wants to marry. Chief marries girl. Chief knocks up girl. Boooooring. This would be an awesome book if it just followed Kira and her encounters with the Shargh from her perspective. Also, if Kest was so mad about her why didn't he go with her? Although the fact that he didn't was a nice departure from 'boy must save girl' tropes. I liked it enough to start the second book.

O.M.G. I think I held my breath the entire second half. Will definitely need a second (or third) reading.

Nope. I can't even. I was really struggling, but then when That Guy who was dead at the end of the last book turned up again, nope.

(Adare's story was picking up, though, and Kaden's was strong the whole way even if he did make stupid STUPID choices).

Terrible. The exposition and infodumping is as subtle as a brick; the book within the book with the tale of how two of the characters met and carried on a romance, written from the POV of one to the other. Why? She was literally there? You didn't have to write a book to her about how you met her?
Thanks, I hate it.

This was part of a series of listening to books in the car whilst ferrying kidlet to afterschool activities, but in the time of Coronavirus that's not a thing that happens any more. I have zero other interest in reading Harry Potter.

Absolutely not in the mood for fae child-of-the-wilderness who is clearly the Chosen One

I just don't care? I want to read about Yaga pottering about in the woods, not having to visit the big city and scheme with/against her ex. 

I can't write a proper review of this book because I cannot finish it. I am a third of the way in and it is tedious - to the point where I don't want to pick up my kindle because I know it's there, waiting for me. I just can't do it. I don't know if it gets better if you trudge through it a little longer but I like my female YA protagonists to actually be able to do more than look to the men in her life for guidance. If I wanted to read about men saving the day and guiding the girl I'd just read adult fantasy. I have been trudging for days now and it's not looking any better.