Hammer of Thor was a review copy that was brought to my attention by the author himself near the end of 2011. I was at the time just finishing off the Read-A-Myth reading challenge and so the norse mythology element of this book really attracted me to it. I believe this book is Townsend’s debut novel but since its release he has also written another book in this series, which is called Agent of Artifice. To find out more about Townsend and his work why not check out his website.

Imagine a world almost identical to our own, except here those things we believe to be myth like witches, warlocks, fairy godmothers, and the Gods of ancient times are all real. They are all in fact human beings but with the added bonus of supernatural powers, and they call themselves ‘adepts’. Being an adept is no easy business. They are shunned by ‘lessers’ which are normal folk like you and I, which means they tend to group together in guilds of their own but guild life is fraught with political intrigue, power struggles, talisman theft, and guild wars. Talismans are used by ‘adepts’ to increase their powers, the more you have the more powerful you are, but everyone is always on the look out for a more powerful talisman. The most powerful talisman in the entire world is the ‘Hammer of Thor’ which has been stolen by Hitler and the Nazi party ‘adepts’ from its rightful owners the ‘Valkyrie’. With its power Hitler could not only rule Europe but the entire world. American ‘adept’ Francis Kader and the ‘Valkyries’ must work uneasily together to stop Hitler before it’s too late.

This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve written in a long time, I just find I still have such mixed opinions of this book. There was much to like about Hammer of Thor; magic, history, myth, and well written description. However there was also war, military detail, travel, many locations around the world, lost love (twice), fights, cars, weapons, flying carpets, planes, and several time periods as well…to be honest there was just too much going on for me for most of the time.

I originally accepted the book because of the norse mythology element of the book, and when Townsend focused on that I loved it but for me he didn’t focus on it enough. The storyline of the last of the Valkyrie, an empty Valhalla, the awakening of Thor, and the theft of the hammer by the Nazis was I thought genius. But it was only a subplot to what was essentially a running commentary of Francis Kader’s life. Not that Kader’s life is not interesting it is chock full of guild war, fights, and military action however none of these are really anything I know much about and/or am that interested in.

I hate not having a more positive opinion of this book because it wasn’t a bad book, it was well written and researched, but it just wasn’t for me I’m afraid. I recommend Hammer of Thor to bookworms with a love of supernatural powers but also war/military detail, plus you need to be able to take a lot of information in.

See also:

• Review Copy: Pool of Souls – Cheryl Landmark
• Asenath – Anna Patricio
• The Ovary Wars – Mike Hogan

I have been keeping my eyes open for new and interesting reading challenges over this month and came upon this one on Ana’s blog Things Mean A Lot.

A Year of Feminist Classics

‘Over the past few weeks, the new team tried to come up with a diverse, well-rounded reading list that addresses some of the gaps and blind spots we found in the texts we read last year. Some of our choices are more recent than the ones from the first year’s list, but we believe they’re all more than important and influential enough to be called classics.

Without further ado, here’s our reading list for the New Year:

• February – Feminism is for Everybody by bell hooks (Amy)
• March – The Book of the City of Ladies by Christine De Pizan (Jean)
• April – Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano (Cass)
• May – Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë read alongside Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Iris)
• June – Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg (Emily)
• July – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Nancy)
• August – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison (Lauren)
• September – Borderlands/La Frontera by Gloria Anzaldua (Melissa)
• October – The Feminine Mystique by Betty Friedan (Jodie)
• November – Beyond the Veil by Fatema Mernissi (Ana)
• December – Women, Race, and Class by Angela Davis (Emily Jane)
• January – Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practising Solidarity by Chandra Talpade Mohanty (Eva)

We invite you all to think of this project as an informal feminist reading group. You don’t have to commit to joining the discussion every month, but we’d love to hear your thoughts whenever you’re able to. We’re very excited to read these books together, and we hope we’ll have the opportunity to continue to learn from each other and from you.’

This challenge will be running February 2012 to February 2013, and as Ana says people are very welcome to dip in and out each month depending how much time you have. One of my own personal goals is to read more Classics but thinking about it I would love to try some Feminist literature as well, as I have not consciously tried to before. At the moment I can definitely commit to May as I already have Jane Eyre on my TBR shelf, would be great to get hold of Wide Sargasso Sea to read alongside it. Would also love to get hold of Little Women as it is a book I have wanted to read for quite a long time. I know I won’t be able to have a reading role every month but will eagerly look forward to reading the reviews and discussions each month. Anyone else taking part in this challenge?

See Also:

• Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge 2012
• The Sir Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge 2012

Here is another adaptation I watched over the holiday period. Great Expectations was the BBC’s offering over the Christmas holiday, adapted by Sarah Phelps and shown in three parts. If you have read this blog regularly you will know I love a good BBC adaptation. This one has an all-star cast, including Ray Winstone, David Suchet, Shaun Dooley, Gillian Anderson, and Mark Addy with the relatively new faces of Douglas Booth and Vanessa Kirby. Interestingly I’ve heard rumours of a hollywood adaptation of Great Expectations will be released this year, which will star Ralph Fiennes and Helena Bonham Carter. Look forward to doing a little comparison.

Young Philip Pirrup simply known as Pip is a poor orphan who has grown up with his snobbish sister and her blacksmith husband Joe. Pip and Joe have a close relationship and it has always been agreed that Pip will do an apprenticeship to become a blacksmith too. But Pip’s sister is always out to better their standing, so when she hears that the local landowner Miss Havisham wants a young boy to visit her home, she now see’s Pip as a vehicle to better things. At Miss Havisham’s Pip falls in love with her adopted daughter Estella and for the first time starts to dream of a better life for himself, only to be heartlessly sent away by Miss Havisham. Years later Pip is visited by Mr Jaggers a lawyer from London who informs him that he has a secret benefactor who wishes to pay for Pip to become a gentlemen. Pip moves to London to start his new life, and with high hopes he will finally see Estella again, and be her equal. However all is not as it seems.

I loved this show, I could hardly wait for the next instalment to come out! The costumes were authentic, the sets were sumptuous in their detail, and the mood was both eerie and dark in equal parts. You moved with ease following Pip from place to place; starting with the small but comfortable blacksmith cottage, to the decrepit grandeur of Miss Havisham’s hall, to the bustling streets of London, and the extravagant town houses of the gentle class. While many of these sets were quite colourful and extravagant all of it was filmed with a sort of grimy grey film to it which really kept your uneasiness high. On top of that some of the camera work used was wonderful, long sweeping shots of landscape, and scenes of movement. Plus some really interesting close-ups and focuses in scenes of drama.

One of the characters that had some of the best scenes and also the best performance was Miss Havisham, which was played by Gillian Anderson. Some have argued that Anderson was too young to play the part, nearly all performances of this character have been played very old. However I don’t agree. If you do the maths of when Miss Havisham was jilted and adopted Estella she can’t really now be much older than her forties, making a Anderson a perfect choice. And she was! Anderson played Miss Havisham as woman driven out of her mind by unrequited love rather than because she is old. Her being younger actually made it a lot creepier. I must also comment on the performances of the two youngest parts/actors. Douglas Booth as Pip is handsome, naive, foolish, but ultimately well-intentioned, while Vanessa Kirby was cold, calculated, vulnerable, but she also such a captivating beauty, the contrast between her looks and character was sometimes very surreal.

I highly recommend Great Expectations to all bookworms with a love of Dickens, adaptations, and haunting period dramas.

See also:

• The Crimson Petal and the White (2011)
• Sherlock (2010)
• The Day of the Triffids (2009)
• The Turn of the Screw (2009)

Hello my fellow bookworms! Hope you are all well. I have been a very busy bee, both on this blog and in my day-to-day life recently. Over the Christmas and New Year holiday I have watched a lot of adaptations if you hadn’t noticed, still trying to catch up on all those reviews, hopefully you’re not sick of them?! On top of that January is a busy month  for me; it was my one year anniversary with my boyfriend on the 10th (it seems to have flown by), it was my uncle’s birthday on the 13th, I turned 24 on the 17th, and still to come my boyfriend will also turn 24 on the 24th. All a lot of fun but has been a very expensive month for me so far. Definitely no book buying for a while!

My boyfriend got the day off for my birthday which was nice so we could spend a chilled out day together, and then on the evening we all went out for a family meal. Got a real mixture of presents including toiletries, chocolate, a mug and matching candle holder, clothing, and my dad has promised to get me a food processor. The only book I got was from my boyfriend as I asked him to get me somethings so I could start doing yoga again. He picked out a yoga mat and to accompany it was a copy of Yoga Made Easy. So will hopefully get back into this soon, as I am feeling so unfit after all this eating and celebrating I’ve been doing over the last month and a bit, so look out for updates on my progress.

I haven’t really had much work recently, did a few days back at the theme park over the New Year holiday. Other than that I have been throwing myself into my volunteer job with Shoebox Theatre company. I do have some exciting news though, and that is about the workshop for children I help to run for Shoebox. The director has let me know that they feel I contribute so much that session that from now on I will be paid for it. So not only am I doing a volunteer job doing what I love but I will get a bit of pay for it which is just perfect. I have gone a bit theatre mad recently as I have also volunteered to help get the Church pantomime on its feet for the first week of March. Busy, busy, busy!

But enough about me, what about you? What have you been doing/watching/reading?

This book really doesn’t need much of an introduction. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage is the fifth instalment of M C Beaton’s Agatha Raisin series which was published in 1996. For my reviews of previous instalments please check out the links at the bottom of this review. After this I have the next instalment Agatha Raisin and the Terrible Tourist on my tbr shelf, plus there are another sixteen instalments of the feisty Agatha left to go. After all that I could also move on to Beaton’s other crime series following a sleuth by the name of Hamish Macbeth, so almost a lifetime supply of cosy crime to look forward to.

Agatha Raisin a stylish, successful and independent fifty something woman has thrown in the cut throat business world to live her childhood dream of dwelling in a little stone cottage in the blissful Cotswold’s countryside. However the transition from PR manager of her own company in London to retirement in a country village is anything but blissful for our Agatha.

Agatha believes that all her dreams are about to come true as she is finally about to tie the knot with her handsome neighbour James Lacey, but in true Agatha style there is a shock to come. The ceremony comes to a crashing halt with the appearance of Jimmy Raisin….Agatha’s husband! Unlike Agatha had presumed alcoholic Jimmy is annoyingly alive and kicking. Agatha is shocked, and poor James is heartbroken. But a final shock is to come when Jimmy is found strangled to death in a ditch only a day later, and both Agatha and James are prime suspects for his murder. Can Agatha and James find the real murderer? And save their broken relationship in the process?

Another perfect slice of coziness! The cold weather has really closed in around us here during this month, and this really was the best pick-me-up read I could have had ask for. Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage was full of everything I’ve come to love from these books a couple of grisly murders, shocks, thrills, laughs, mystery, community, and of course Agatha! What was lovely to see in this book was the personal change we see in Agatha. When she is faced with someone who reminds her what she used to be, a mental fight begins, where Agatha questions whether she is living a lie or that she has truly changed. The extra element of a deeper look into our already well-loved character was very welcome addition.

As always, I highly recommend this book whether you’re an Agatha virgin or if you are a stalwart fan.

More of my reviews: Agatha Raisin and the Quiche of Death , Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet , Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener , Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley

Other’s reviews: The Book Jotter

(Have you also reviewed this? Let me know so I can link to you)

Yes my fellow bookworms I have ‘ummed’ and ‘ahhed’ about this one long enough and have decided I should give it a go. The Sir Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge is hosted by Hannah on her lovely blog Once Upon A Time, and here is how Hannah describes her challenge:

The Sir Terry Pratchett Reading Challenge

‘I have been thinking about this challenge for a few months now and it seems that this is the perfect time to get it out there. You see, I need to read more Pratchett. I adore the man, I adore Discworld, yet everytime it comes up in conversation, “I’ve only read as far as Guards, Guards and I can’t even remember what happened, I definitely need to read more.” So I have been dutifully collecting Pratchett books when I’ve spotted them in the charity shop in the hopes that I’ll finally live up to that. But I haven’t. Thus the Pratchett reading challenge 2012 is born.

Any format, any book, so long as it’s Pratchett. Re-reads are also perfectly acceptable! Books need to be started and finished between January 1st 2012 and December 31st 2012. You can set your own goals, whether you want to read 5 books or go for the whole Discworld series, that is entirely up to you. Be realistic or go crazy, there are no penalties if you don’t meet your goal, in fact the only real goal is to read some Pratchett.’

Both my nan and dad are huge fans of Pratchett’s work, and what I have read I have also loved but I do feel I haven’t read enough. Just like Hannah herself if asked what I’ve read all I can name is The Colour Magic, The Light Fantastic, and Wyrd Sisters all of which if I’m honest I don’t remember a lot about as it was so long ago. Last year I did read the joint effort of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman, Good Omens, that reminded that I really do need to read more Pratchett (I’m afraid I could take or leave Gaiman to be honest).

As I am allowed to set my own goals, my goal is simple and that is to read one Pratchett book which is:

• The Last Hero

Why only one do I hear you shout? Because shock horror I already own this book, it is right now sitting on my book shelf…but not on the tbr shelf, no instead it is languishing in with my other long-forgotten large hardback books! So I would be happy this year if I managed to get around to reading it. However if I get that done relatively quickly than here is the list of books I could get my hands on if I go pilfering my nan and dad’s bookcases too:

• Carpe Jugulum
• Equal Rites
• Pyramids
• The Colour of Magic (re-read)
• The Light Fantastic (re-read)
• Unseen Academicals
• Wintersmith
• Wyrd Sisters (re-read)

I think this could be a really interesting reading challenge. Are any of you taking part? What other challenges have you signed up for?

I doubt this film needs much of an introduction, but here goes anyway. Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is the 2011 blockbuster film from director Guy Ritchie, with Robert Downey Jnr returning as the infamous Sherlock Holmes and Jude Law as his dogged side-kick Dr Watson. This is the second film this successful trio have made, the first was back in 2009 simply titled Sherlock Holmes. This new edition also sees Stephen Fry joining the cast as Sherlock’s older brother Mycroft Holmes. The film was released about a week before Christmas; and bless his cotton socks my boyfriend faithfully waited till I got back from my mother’s house so we could go see it together just before New Year. I have only just got round to the review because there has been so many adaptations about, both on the big and small screen.

Sherlock Holmes is beside himself at the thought of Dr John Watson’s imminent marriage which will end their partnership for good. To console himself Sherlock occupies his time investigating the schemes of his arch-enemy, Professor James Moriarty. However it appears that Sherlock gets too close for comfort to one of Moriarty’s plans. Moriarty warns Sherlock that he considers Dr Watson and his future wife as legitimate targets for his retaliation against the detective, Holmes must save them and to do so he must enlist John in one last case. Their first task is to join the fortune-teller Madam Simza Heron’s quest to find her missing brother, Renee, who may be the key to defeating Moriarty. Together, the trio find themselves involved in a dangerous international conspiracy led by the Napoleon of Crime in which the fate of all of Europe hangs in the balance.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows was a rip-roaring, laugh-out-loud riot from start to finish. I don’t believe I’ve laughed so much in a long time. Without giving too much away there was one scene involving a Shetland pony which just had me in stitches, I laughed so much at it that there were tears! If you’ve seen the film you will know what scene I am on about. If you haven’t seen the film then you must do so immediately! Again Robert Downey Jnr was an amazing Sherlock Holmes with a heady combination of good looks, intelligence, eccentric behaviour, and some of the funniest lines of the whole film. Good old Jude Law was also again brilliant as the poor put upon Dr Watson who couldn’t even enjoy his honeymoon away from Holmes. And then throw one of my ultimate favourites Stephen Fry into the mix as the just as intelligent, eccentric and funny Mycroft, and you have one winning film for me.

On top of all that there is the wonderful Victorian setting, special effects, fight scenes, the ultimate bad guy Moriarty, and two beautiful heroines. I could bang on about this film forever, if you hadn’t noticed. So I will cut myself short and just simply say you must go see this film. Now! If you have already seen this film, well done, and what did you think?

A new year my fellow bookworms and new review requests have been flying in. This book pretty much had an acceptance straight away as I recognised the author Cheryl Landmark from a previous book I reviewed for her, Wind and Fire. If I remember correctly I thought Cheryl had a great imagination and potential, so I am very interested to see how her work has progressed. Her new novel is Pool of Souls, and here is what it is all about:

‘On the world called Regalis, the domains are ruled by kings and queens and mages wield great power. Queen Saranor, ruler of the Janix domain, is no longer content with reigning solely over her own queendom. She has become insanely greedy and ambitious and, with the help of the powerful mage, Nostrimus, and a soul-killing talisman called the Pool of Souls, she sets out on a brutal, bloody campaign to rule all of Regalis. Her bid for world dominance, however, is challenged by a rebellion led by General Darnellis Viadon, the former commander of her troops.

After her brother leaves their small hometown to join the general’s rebellion, twenty-two year old Cazlina Narzin decides to follow in his footsteps and enlist in the army as well. But, once away from the safety and isolation of Rothtown in the company of her loyal companion, Miris, Cazlina soon discovers that the battle zeal and passion she harbors to help rid the world of the renegade queen may not be enough to protect her from the danger and evil threatening her world.’

I accepted a pdf copy of this book but you can get a kindle copy on Amazon. For once I was glad not to have to tell poor Cheryl that it may take me a long time to read this on my laptop, because of course now I have my kindle to read this on!

Asenath is the debut novel for author Anna Patricio, who got in touch with me in September of 2011 offering me a review copy of this book. What with the historical and biblical references in this book I couldn’t help but snap her hand off for a free copy. Anna studied Ancient History at university so my expectations are high that she will throw in some real facts to make this story really come alive. I received Asenath in a pdf format, as I didn’t have a kindle then but now I do and this book got to be first read on it, however you can now also get it in kindle format on Amazon for a bargain price.

‘Two Destinies…One Journey of Love’

Asenath is born and raised in a small fishing village on the edge of the Nile. Her quiet and peaceful life is going to be broken forever when her village is attacked and she is taken prisoner by a vicious tribe. Asenath and some fellow villagers are rescued only to return home to a desolate village, and to find many of their loved ones dead including Asenath’s parents. Asenath and the other village orphans are taken away by a powerful priest to start new exciting lives in the temple complex of Heliopolis. Now she is surrounded by wealth and opportunity Asenath still can’t seem to find her true calling…that is until she meets Joseph. Joseph is beautiful, kind and a slave far away from his home, and the first person who truly seems to understand what Asenath is feeling. Their happiness is not to last though as Joseph is accused of a crime he did not commit and thrown into prison. Is Asenath doomed to lose all the people she has ever loved? Or is it her fate to save Joseph?

Asenath is a beautifully detailed romance set to the stunning background of Egypt in its heyday of power, wealth and majesty. I found myself utterly enthralled. I think the author’s actual knowledge of the time period must have really helped because the descriptions of the world that Asenath and Joseph inhabited was so rich and most importantly believable (whether or not the details were real or not). Since I was a child I have been fascinated by Ancient Egypt, it is one place I would love to visit, so this book played straight into my hands. Especially as it also had the religious theme with Joseph…yes he is THE Joseph…multi-coloured coat and all! The relationship between Asenath and Joseph is very intense, and the romance element of the book I found to be very in your face, I probably wouldn’t normally choose such a full on romance myself but the setting of it kept me on side. I didn’t feel that close to Joseph I understood the attraction but he just came across as what I expected from the Bible stories of him. The person I really felt close to was Asenath; she is beautiful, intelligent, but also at times an emotionally weak character who can be completely ruled by her heart rather than her head. Rather than annoying me though that actually endeared her to me instead.

I would highly recommend this book to bookworms with a passion for history and romance, if you also have an interest in the biblical that  would be an added bonus.

Other Reviews: Reviews by Jane , Top Romance Novels , History and Women

Have you read this, if so what did you think? If you have also reviewed this book but don’t see your link above then let me know so I can add you.

Hello my fellow bookworms this is a little late compare to some, but with all I have had to do to round off last year, it is now my time to start thinking about reading challenges. I didn’t even have to ponder for a moment whether I would be signing up for a second year for this challenge. If you would like to know how I got on last year go to Mental Illness Advocacy Reading Challenge 2011 is a Wrap! Now for this year, here is what Amanda of Opinions of a Wolf has to say about her challenge:

Mental Illness Advocacy (MIA) Reading Challenge

About the Challenge:

‘I started the Mental Illness Advocacy (MIA) Reading Challenge in December 2010 in an effort to raise awareness, knowledge, and acceptance of mental illness. Reading, both fiction and nonfiction, is an excellent way to broaden one’s horizons and expose one to new ideas and ways of thinking and being. Many reading challenges already exist in the book blogging community to address racism, sexism, and homophobia, but I could not find any to address the stigma faced by those suffering from mental illness. In spite of mental illnesses being recognized by the scientific community as diseases just like physical ones, many still think those suffering from one are at fault for their own suffering. I hope reading and reviewing books featuring characters struggling to deal with mental illness, whether their own or another person’s, will help remove the stigma faced on a daily basis by those with a mental illness. They already have to struggle with an illness; they shouldn’t have to face a stigma too.’

Last year I signed up for the middle level of eight books, however I would like to maybe try some other challenges this year so will be signing up for the lowest this year of four books. I think I can pretty much guarantee I can read four, and if I have time for more I can always bump myself up a level later in the year. Here is my rough list of possible reads:

• Stuart a Life Backwards – Alexander Masters
• House of Silence – Linda Gillard
• Untying the Knot – Linda Gillard
• Killers – Shaun Jeffrey
• I Don’t Want to Kill You – Dan Wells

The first four of which I already own, so they would be the easy options to go with, but after reading the first two John Cleaver books by Dan Wells I am really keen to read the third.

So far this is the only challenge I have signed up for but I have another one in mind, if I join it a post should be up next week about it. What about you, what challenges have you signed up for this year? Fancy giving this one a go?