The Classics Club: Spin #2

“Good morning, Clubbers!

It’s time for another Classics Spin for any who are interested. What is the spin?

It’s easy. At your blog, by next Monday, May 20, list your choice of any twenty books you’ve left to read from your Classics Club list – in a separate post.

This is your Spin List. You have to read one of these twenty books in May & June. (Details follow.) So, try to challenge yourself. For example, you could list five Classics Club books you are dreading/hesitant to read, five you can’t WAIT to read, five you are neutral about, and five free choice (favourite author, re-reads, ancients — whatever you choose.)

Next Monday, we’ll post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List, by July 1. We’ll have a check in post for July, to see who made it the whole way and finished the spin book”

I wasn’t able to take part in the first Classic Club Spin and I really felt like I missed out, so this time I was determined to make time for it. Here is my Spin List:

1. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
2. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
3. Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
4. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
5. A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
6. Bleak House by Charles Dickens
7. The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens
8. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L Frank Baum
9. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
10. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
11. The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling
12. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
13. War of the Worlds by H G Wells
14. The Time Machine H G Wells
15. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
16. Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne
17. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
18. Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
19. The Railway Children by E Nesbit
20. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Purple = Classics I can’t wait to read.
Read = Classics I am hesitant to read.
Blue = Classics I’m neutral about.
Green = Classics I don’t own a copy of yet.

I am rather nervous and excited about which book I will end up reading! Wish me luck!

Are you taking part in the Classics Club Spin #2?

New Read: Root

After a glorious bank holiday weekend last week the rain has now returned to the UK. Finding myself inside again I was happy to lose myself in the exotic world of Root by Tara Maya the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song series. This is a darker fantasy series I started reading last year but until January I seemed to have forgotten all about it. Earlier this year I polished off the second and third instalments and I was ever so lucky to get my hands on more instalments straight away. I am very glad this is a series I have rekindled my interest in.

Root is the fourth instalment of The Unfinished Song if you’re interested in reading this series I recommend you read my thoughts on previous instalments first as this post may contain spoilers.

Root continues to follow the exciting, dangerous, and unpredictable life of the young girl Dindi. After surviving a gruelling test Dindi has had her life spared and is now allowed to dance with her clan’s Tavaedi group even though she doesn’t possess magic. This is small consolation as Dindi is required to return to her home with her clan folk after losing the man she loves. There is one thing Dindi clings onto and that is the secret that in fact she does have magic. Other’s can’t view this magic because long ago a curse was placed upon her bloodline which Dindi must discover how to break if she ever hopes to reach her dreams. However there is someone  who can sense her magic. He is a dark, mysterious, and dangerous man who is to bring death and war down upon Dindi and her clan folk in the pursuit of her.

Dindi’s teacher, friend, and love interest Kavio was sadly missing from this instalment leaving Dindi to narrate the majority of Root. Kavio was mentioned but his story line was never viewed. I really hope we will return to him in later instalments because I thought the relationship between the two protagonists was really good. It was however quite refreshing to focus in on Dindi as she progresses in maturity and strength. Maya also included the voices of Kemla and Tamio two ambitious Tavaedi dancers who have a bit of sexual tension going on, the faerie born White Lady who is on the run, and the dangerous man in black who is hunting both the White Lady and Dindi herself. I really liked the addition of these narrators because I thought they brought different dimensions to the story.

I love the setting of The Unfinished Song. Unlike a lot of fantasy this series is not set in a medieval setting instead Maya based her writing on a Polynesian myth and choose a stone age style setting for it all. I think the concept of faeries, magic, warriors, clans, hut villages, tradition, canoes and stone monuments all works perfectly together. Other than a few typos I thought Maya’s style, language, and story flowed really well and I didn’t notice the use of any too modern sounding language to break me out from my magical revelry.

Root was a thoroughly enjoyable dark fantasy adventure which I couldn’t put down. I recommend The Unfinished Song series to those interested in darker fantasy. There is violent and sexual content in this series so not recommended for younger readers. I have the next instalments Wing and Blood waiting for me on my kindle. I can’t wait to read them.

I received a free copy of Root from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you reading The Unfinished Song series? Are you a fan of dark fantasy?

I’m counting Root as Fantasy for Once Upon a Time VII hosted by Carl V @ Stainless Steal Droppings.

New Books: April and May

The Lion’s World by Rowan Williams
This was a gift from some close friends who know my love of The Chronicles of Narnia by C S Lewis. I was so excited about it that I pretty much started reading it straight away!

A Lifetime Burning by Linda Gillard
After reading and enjoying The Glass Guardian my fourth Linda Gillard read. Linda kindly offered to send me a copy of one her novel’s I hadn’t read. I opted for A Lifetime Burning and I can hardly wait to read it!

Sister Mercedes and the Temple of Doom by Brian C Petti
I received a free copy of Sister Mercedes and the Temple of Doom from the author in exchange for my honest opinion.

A Body in the Backyard by Elizabeth Spann Craig

Stories from the Golden Age by L Ron Hubbard
Hurricane
The Iron Duke
Under the Black Ensign

The Silver Locket by Margaret James

I spotted this interesting mixture of fiction offered for free on Amazon. I was particularly excited to spot A Body in the Backyard as I downloaded another instalment from this series last month.

A Very Brief History series by Mark Black
The Berlin Wall
The Cuban Missile Crisis
Ronald Reagan

Fifty Shades of Lady Catherine Grey by T S Wiseman
(The Sex Scandals That Shook the Tudor Court)

Historical Non-Fiction by Charles River Editors
Cicero
King Arthur
King Solomon
Martin Luther and John Calvin
Ramesses II

I spotted these interesting non-fictions offered for free on Amazon. One of my continuing aims in 2013 is to read more non-fiction especially on history so these looked like they could be great reads for me.

This is another large haul for my kindle with a few for my bookshelf too. I would normally have felt unnerved about bringing home so many new books but with most of them being digital I don’t have to worry about them taking up space so no stress about when I get round to them.

Have you read any of these books? What new books are you excited about?

The Classics Club: The Great Gatsby

I won a beautiful Alma set of F Scott Fitzgerald’s work last year but until now the set has been gathering dust on my bookshelf. With the up-coming release of Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation of The Great Gatsby I found myself spurred on to read it. As I am looking forward to seeing the film at the cinema. Of course The Great Gatsby is also Fitzgerald’s most famous book so it felt like the right place to start in the set.

The Great Gatsby follows Nick Carraway in the summer of 1922 as he moves from the Midwest to Long Island to start a job as a bonds man in New York. The only people Nick vaguely knows when he arrives is his cousin Daisy and her husband Tom Buchanan but they live in the more affluent area across the bay from Nick. While Nick’s area might be more up and coming it doesn’t take him long to notice his neighbour Gatsby. Every weekend Gatsby throws ever more flamboyant and fabulous parties. One evening Nick finds his neighbour Gatsby has personally invited him. From that evening on Nick finds himself a front row spectator to the tangle of Gatsby’s present, past, and future. I simply adored the setting of this book! I have always had an attraction to the glitz, glamour, and liberated behaviour of the ‘roaring twenties’ which this book played right into. However Fitzgerald has written a balanced novel where by we don’t just see the positive aspects of this time period. I was interested to read more about the social structure, the clique mind-set, and the lack of much responsibility.

The narrator of The Great Gatsby Nick Carraway I found was the only character I really liked or made any true connection with. He is honest, educated, and came across as a pretty decent fellow. I found the protagonist of the story Gatsby to be very interesting but I never felt like I really knew him. While I found myself completely disliking Daisy and her husband Tom. Actually I found myself disliking nearly all the characters but Nick. The problem was I found them all to be shallow, aloof, and secretive. I feel though this might have been intentionally because the characters themselves seemed to realise it but accepted this behaviour as normal. What I really learnt was the glitz, glamour, and flamboyant parties were pretty much all these socialites had, and that there wasn’t really much going on underneath it all.

The Great Gatsby was my first foray into F Scott Fitzgerald’s work which won’t be my last as I look forward to reading this rest of the Alma set. I found Fitzgerald’s writing to be detailed, eloquent, but quite meandering. Fitzgerald is certainly not a direct writer. He instead often starts off on one tangent to only intersect it midway through with something that catches his interest to then move back to his original point. This was quite hard to keep track of at first but once I got used to his style I didn’t find it bothered me too much. In fact it probably added to the precocious, aloof, and flamboyant mood of the setting. Not sure this style would work in any other setting though!

Overall I thought The Great Gatsby was an interesting and glitzy glimpse into the past. I can’t go as far as to say I loved it though because of the general lack of connection to the characters. Recommended to those interested in the 1920′s and American classics. This is now my 12th read off my Classics Club list.

Are you a fan of F Scott Fitzgerald? What Fitzgerald’s novel do you think I should read next?

The Classics Club: May Meme

Another month means another meme question for The Classics Club. This is a very wide open question/s which I find I always struggle with more, but I’m keen to keep up with these memes.

I have just finished reading The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald; I will leave my thoughts on that though for my full post on it. I am continuing to dip in and out of The Complete Brothers Grimm’s Fairytales which I started in January. This has been a very slow read for me I have however read over a hundred short-stories already which in any other collection would be excellent progress. I made decent progress in April on it but still a lot of stories to go!

After finishing The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald I find myself not knowing what classic novel to read next. I think I’m most drawn to either A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens or Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen. Two very different books I think what is really drawing me to them is the authors. I’m in the mood for a new classic from an author I already know and love. I have a few books that I already plan to read over the next week or so but I am hoping to get round to one of these before the end of May.

What classic do you think I should read next?

What classic are you reading or looking forward to reading in May?

Monthly Reflection: April

Hello my fellow bookworms, I hope you are happy and well? April saw the start of Spring here in the UK! I signed up for a teaching agency at the beginning of the month and have been getting a lot more work over the last few weeks. With the odd splattering of sunshine and great career prospects all in all April has been a great month for me. To top the month off I have also spent a great deal of time reading in the sun or tucked up inside during the sporadic April showers. Now let’s have a look at what I read under that blanket during the month.

Fiction: 4               Non-Fiction: 3               Poetry: 0

I started April by finishing off the gigantic A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin the first instalment of the epic fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire. Despite the epic length I found A Game of Thrones detailed, thrilling, and utterly un-put-down-able! After that I decided to have a break from fantasy and picked up The Lives She Left Behind by James Long the long-awaited sequel to Ferney which I read in March. Another beautifully written novel from Long highly recommended to those who loved Ferney. My break from fantasy wasn’t long because I couldn’t resist a re-read of the charming The Horse and His Boy by C S Lewis the third instalment of The Chronicles of Narnia. I finished the month off with The Glass Guardian by Linda Gillard. Another wonderful piece of women’s literature with a supernatural twist from Gillard who rapidly becoming one of my favourite modern authors.

Alongside those works of fiction in April I also made excellent progress towards my goal of reading more historical non-fiction. I finished off the memoir Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself a moving and fascinating look through the eyes of a young orphaned slave in America. I also managed to polish off two more editions from the A Very Brief History series by Mark Black, one on Thomas Cromwell and the other one Queen Elizabeth I. Two more short and interesting reads.

Pick of the Month: A Game of Thrones by George R R Martin

And those are just the books I finished. During April I have continued to dip in and out of The Complete Brothers Grimm’s Fairytales which I started in January. Made decent progress but still a lot of stories to go! At the end of the month I also started reading The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald and The Lion’s World by Rowan Williams.

How was your April? What did you read?

New Read: The Glass Guardian

I don’t generally read a great deal of chick lit or women’s literature but I make an exception for Linda Gillard who is rapidly becoming one of my favourite authors. I had read three of Gillard novels but I haven’t read one since last year so I thought it was high time I read another. The Glass Guardian Gillard’s most recent novel was handily waiting for me on my kindle.

The Glass Guardian follows Ruth Travers a successful TV gardener who finds her world falling apart after the loss of both her parents, her lover, and finally her job. Looking for healing Ruth returns to her Aunt Janet’s old family home, Tigh na Linne, on the Isle of Skye where Ruth remembers spending many pleasant summer holidays in her childhood. Sadly Aunt Janet also passes away. Living alone in Tigh na Linne Janet starts to believe that she might not just have lost her job and loved ones but perhaps her mind too. As Ruth discovers that her childhood imaginary friend, Heckie, has returned to comfort her. Heckie is in fact a ghost, and together they are to discover their past and look toward to their future. I thought The Glass Guardian was a beautiful tale that follows a mature woman through love, loss, family, friendships, loneliness, self-worth, desire, and history with a wonderful supernatural twist. Unlike a lot of chick lit/women’s literature I’ve tried to read before I think Gillard’s work has some real substance coupled with interesting and believable characters.

The protagonist of The Glass Guardian Ruth is an attractive, intelligent, and interesting woman. As a middle-aged woman Ruth has lived long enough to know who she truly is but like a lot of people she is still searching for the right place and person to share her life with. Heckie or in fact James Hector Munroe is a ghost who has lived and helped his family in Tigh na Linne since he was killed in France during World War I. Hector has stayed because he feels he has unfinished business which he feels Ruth is the one to help him complete. Plus you can add into the mix Ruth’s childhood playmate Tom and an eccentric music professor Athelstan from Canada. All in all I thought these were a great blend of characters.

I am no stranger to Gillard’s work. Each new read I am not disappointed either. I think Gillard’s writing is beautiful, detailed, but also comfortable and down to earth which is why I enjoy reading her work so much. I always feel her characters and story are realistic and interesting. I especially love all the history she puts into her stories and The Glass Guardian was no exception. Gillard added details about World War I and of music and poetry from the past. I think this historical detail always adds a wonderful depth to her tales. The difference with The Glass Guardian is the supernatural element which I haven’t read in her works before but I thought Gillard handled it well. Some elements were a little far-fetched and perhaps a little obvious however Gillard’s natural style made up for any small faults in that department.

The Glass Guardian is another beautiful tale of the love, life, and history of a strong woman from Linda Gillard. I highly recommend to those interested in women’s literature and British history. I can’t wait to read more of Gillard’s work.

I received a free copy of The Glass Guardian from the author in return for my honest opinion.

Are you a fan of Linda Gillard? Any recommendations what I should read next?

New Read: Queen Elizabeth I

One of my continuing aims in 2013 is to try to read more non-fiction in particular about history. I noticed that over the last few months or so different editions of A Very Brief History series by Mark Black have been offered for free on Amazon so I have been collecting them. After enjoying the Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell editions from the collection I was keen to read more from this time period so moved on to the Queen Elizabeth I edition.

Before reading this book what I knew of Elizabeth I was a lot more than I had known of her mother Anne Boleyn or her father’s chief minister Thomas Cromwell. It is hard not to know of Elizabeth as she was the longest and most successful Tudor monarch. Her reign is still referred to as ‘The Golden Reign’. One of her best and most famous successes has to be the defeat of the Spanish Armada which stopped the Inquisition reaching British soil. What I’ve learned from reading this book was more about her early years. Such as how Elizabeth received an excellent education alongside her half-brother Edward due to the influence of her father’s last wife Katherine Parr. I also learned that from a young age she was suspected by her half-sister Mary and her advisors of possible treason. Elizabeth remained under house arrest for many years as well as her two months spent within the Tower of London. Once Elizabeth became queen she was keen to bring reform to the church much like the other Tudor monarchs had but Elizabeth’s reforms were more about balance rather than favouring either Catholics or Protestants. I don’t believe Elizabeth I was perfect but she was a strong and intelligent ruler who did seem to strive for fairness for which I find I really do admire her.

This brief history of Queen Elizabeth I is separated into chapters on her birth, her childhood, the accusations of treason, her succession to the throne, church reforms, the Mary Queen of Scots plot, the wars fought and finally her death. Now this is called a very brief history and they aren’t lying if you are someone looking for in-depth history of Elizabeth I you won’t find it here.  I thought it was a wonderful introduction and taster of the important events in her life. I thought each chapter was really interesting and could be great places to discover what you would like to read and research further.

Mark Black is a relatively new author for me but I am glad to have discovered him and this series. There were a few typos in this but other than that I thought it was clear, concise and well-written. I thought each chapter was an easy bite-size length and each flowed on very well to the next. An easy and entertaining read. The previous editions I read on Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell only took me two sittings to finish! I got so into this edition that in fact I finished it in one go! I am really keen to read more from this series.

A Very Brief History: Queen Elizabeth I was a simple but interesting introduction to ‘The Golden Reign’ of Elizabeth I the last Tudor monarch. I recommend to those interested in reading more history non-fiction. I have plenty more from this series to read but I am particularly keen to read more from this time period, which leaves me with the edition on Elizabeth’s infamous father Henry VIII.

Are you interested in history? What do you think I should read next?

New Read: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

I haven’t read a memoir since I read World War II London Blitz Diary: Volume 1 by Ruby Side Thompson back in February. Over the last month or so I have been hooked on historical non-fiction so thought I would combine that with a memoir and read Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl follows the trials and tribulations of the young orphan Linda. After growing up under the wing of a kind elderly lady Linda is thrown into turmoil when her mistress dies and she is left to her mistress’s family just like property. Linda is a pale and beautiful girl so is favoured by her new owners to work within their home rather than being sent to the plantation. Linda is to learn the home comes with its own dangers though as from the tender age of 13 years old she is sexually chased and harassed by her master. Linda’s grandmother has bought her own freedom in her old age. Linda dreams of joining her and is finally forced into drastic action to try to attain it. Before reading Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl I didn’t know a great deal about slavery other than the obvious. This memoir gave an interesting glimpse into the real life of a slave living within the south while slavery was now banned in the north. This wasn’t a happy story but it was a fascinating one.

The protagonist and the slave girl mentioned in the title is Linda. Orphaned very young Linda is pretty much raised by her old and kind first mistress where she learns to read and write. On the death of this mistress Linda’s friends and family are convinced she will be allowed her freedom, this hope is painfully dashed when she is in fact moved on to another family. This is all a shock to Linda because she has never really been treated as a slave before then. Linda might have avoided the strenuous work of the plantation and the harsh whip but I still felt a great deal of sympathy for her. Linda’s looks and pale skin may have saved her from one danger only to land her in another. As an educated and moral girl Linda is painfully aware of the liberties her master is trying to take. Linda is no saint herself but all her faults you could almost forgive because of the circumstances and her severe actions were usually forced by other’s hands.

I thought Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was well written and interesting. The memoir was comprised after the events rather than being a day-to-day diary which explains why I found the story flowed so well. Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl was first published in 1861 under the pen name Linda Brent but in fact her real name is Harriet Ann Jacobs. After reading this memoir I found out most names were changed to hide identities.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself is a fascinating look into slavery especially from a female perspective. I highly recommend to those interested in history, memoirs and slavery. After finishing this I am interested in reading more about slavery from this time period.

Have you read this memoir? Any recommendations of similar work?

Liebster Award

The lovely Lynn @ Lynn’s Book Blog has kindly nominated me for the Liebster Award. Thank you Lynn! This award is a little more long-winded than other awards I have taken part in before but I hope my condensed version covers all the important elements.

The Liebster Award Rules:

1. Thank the Liebster Blog presenter who nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. Post 11 facts about yourself.
3. Answer the 11 questions you were asked.
4. Nominate 11 blogs who you feel deserve to be noticed.
5. Create 11 questions for your nominees.

Eleven Facts:

1. I studied Theatre and Performance.
2. I currently work for a charity theatre group.
3. I volunteer at a school for disabled children and young adults.
4. I love to read (obviously)
5. I read fiction and non-fiction.
6. I also love to watch film, stage, and TV adaptations of books.
7. I am a little person coming in at just over 5 foot.
8. I am a practicing Christian.
9. I have been belly dancing for over two years.
10. I enjoy visiting historical sites and houses.
11. Other hobbies include cooking, photography, swimming, music, and Sudoku puzzles.

Eleven Questions:

1. Beer or Wine?: Beer
2. Dogs or Cats?: Dogs
3. Fantasy or Sci-Fi?: Fantasy
4. Book or Film?: Book
5. Star Wars or Star Trek?: Star Wars
6. Batman or Superman?: Batman
7. Anime or Manga?: I’m sorry Lynn but neither!
8. Gaiman or Tolkien?: Tolkien
9. Reading or Music?: Reading
10. Chocolate or Cheese?: Chocolate
11. Morning or night?: Morning

Eleven Nominations:

If you see your name and blog listed below please don’t feel any pressure to take part. I am just using this award as a great way to let others know how much I enjoy your blog, and why they might want to check you out too.

1. Charlie @ The Worm Hole - Charlie reads an interesting mixture of historical fiction and modern literature. As well as book reviews Charlie mixes things up with thought-provoking literature based discussions.
2. Cheryl @ Tales of the Marvelous – Cheryl reads a lovely mixture of fantasy and sci-fi. As well as book reviews Cheryl also shares some lovely photographs.
3. Amanda @ Opinions of a Wolf – Amanda reads a vast array of genres with a special interest in horror and sci-fi. As well as book reviews Amanda shares with us her life as a vegetarian and librarian.
4. Helen @ She Reads Novels – Helen reads a lovely mixture of classics and historical fiction. Helen is a fellow member of The Classics Club.
5. Lynn @ Lynn’s Book Blog – Lynn reads an interesting mixture of fantasy, sci-fi, and modern literature. Lynn is now also a fellow member of The Classics Club.
6. Meghan @ Medieval Bookworm – Meghan reads a vast array of historical fiction and non-fiction with some fantasy and sci-fi thrown in for good measure!
7. Jo @ The Book Jotter – Jo reads an interesting mixture of crime, women’s and modern literature. As well as book reviews Jo shares with us her book club chats and the many book events she attends.
8. Ana @ Things Mean A Lot – Ana reads a vast array of genres in fiction and non-fiction!
9. Dot @ Dot Scribbles – Dot reads a great mixture of new releases with a special interest in crime and women’s literature.
10. Anbolyn @ Gudrun’s Tights – Anbolyn reads a lovely mixture of classics, historical fiction, and women’s and modern literature. Anbolyn is a fellow member of The Classics Club.
11. JoV @ JoV’s Book Pyramid – JoV reads a mixture of genres with a special interest in foreign and translated works. As well as book reviews JoV shares with us her lovely travel photographs.

If any of the above do fancy taking part instead of eleven questions I would like you to discuss eleven books you think other readers must read before they die?