Injection Vol 1
I have no idea what this was about and ended up skimming most of it by the end. Whatever this was it didn't hold my interest at all. Boring. Next!!
Kitty Horror
i'm an avid reader whose first love is horror. Come join me over on the dark side.
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January 2019 Monthly round up
Not a fantastic start to the year with only 10 books read but it's a start. I really need to start setting aside some time for concentrating on reading instead of fannying around online.
Here's what I read and when I finished them.
5* - Tartan noir at its best. Love Logan McRae.
3.5* - A couple of really good stories but not interested in the interviews.
3* - Decent enough story but wasn't impressed with the artwork.
4* - Good art, story and characters, will look at getting Vol 2.
4* - Decent addition to the Pavlovs Dogs novella series, the best of the 3.
4* - Fun novella that had a nice twist.
4.5* - Fantastic cannibal read only let down by the anticlimactic ending.
1* - Just ugh!!
3* - Okay read but won't continue with series.
2* - Terrible art, every character looked like their face was melting.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MONTH
What I"m currently reading
@23%
This ones not grabbing me like her books usually do, that might change a little further in.
@20%
The writing is tricky to follow but it's certainly keeping my interest.
@10%
Not sure why I can't get into this one. I either need to put in some serious reading time or set it aside and go back to it at another time. This was picked by Boo for my first read of Jan so I'll just blame her. ;)
My Jan book buys
What I want to read in Feb
My current reads hopefully and then these three books
That's me for the month, I hope everyone has had a good start to the year.
And just cause.....
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Eating Sarah
Mix one highly dislikable MC, a group of supporting characters you could care less about and a plot that is inconsistent at best and you get this hot mess.
The premise was decent enough, a dystopian tale set in an unknown time period where forest dwelling cannibals do a monthly hunt to provide supplies from the nearby city. In an attempt to bolster their numbers they lower the age for participation giving our MC, Sarah, her first hunt. It all ends in disaster and Sarah is relegated to the slaughter shack as a punishment. There she comes into contact with Troy, a city dweller she saw in the woods before he was taken captive. As she gets to know him she starts to question why her community lives the way they do.
I don't even know where to start with this, there was so much that irked me about the story, characterisations and writing itself. I found the MC unsympathetic, I never felt concerned for her welfare, especially as the author had plenty of white knights to save her. Her mother and father had a personality transplant after her disastrous first hunt, the mother especially came across as some demented Disney baddie. None of the supporting characters came across well, they had all done horrendous things and the author had not written them with any nuance to flesh them, just one dimensional story props whose behaviour changed radically, without notice, to fit the story.
The writing is clunky and there was no flow to the story, the author stuck flowery, over descriptive prose throughout the book which just felt forced and detracted rather than added to the read.
I was excited to get to this as it's been on my TBR for a few years now and I had just finished the excellent Inside the Outside and was on a cannibal binge.
So disappointed, and to top it off it ends on a cliff hanger, right in the middle of an attack!!!
2
The Great Zoo of China
*Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*
CJ Cameron and her brother Hamish are included in a group of VIPs to see a new Chinese zoo. This is no ordinary zoo, several decades in the making, it showcases a creature no one thought existed, dragons. Things do not go to plan during the initial tour and of course the dragons wreck havoc on the group, looking to break out of the zoo environment. The group looks to evade danger which is not limited to the dragons as the Chinese will stop at nothing to contain the threat to their investment.
This was a hugely enjoyable thriller that was fast paced, fun and had great characters. Whilst you require some (or a lot of) suspension of disbelief, there's enough science and tech info to make it engaging and I really enjoyed Reillys take on dragon mythology.
CJ was a well drawn character, lots of great backstory on how she was disfigured and her work in her field of reptiles. Her brother Hamish is an entertaining secondary character and interjects some humour into proceedings but it's the dragons themselves, especially Lucky that steal the show and hook you into the story.
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Shock Totem 1
Collection of short stories, poems, interviews and reviews. Quite a good start to the series which had a couple of stand outs, most of the stories were good but I had no interest in the interviews with John Skipp, Alan Robert and William Ollie.
My favourite stories:
The Dead March - Brian Rappatta - Young Aaron has a strange gift which he decides to use on his abusive father.
Thirty-Two Scenes From A Dead Hookers Mouth - Kurt Newton - Horror version of Memento that stays with you.
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In The Cold Dark Ground
The tenth story in the Logan McRae series see him dealing with a missing person murder, a brewing drug turf war, a new superintendent who takes a dislike to him, DCI Steel, professional standards and the usual bevy of unsavoury characters that tend to crop up. There's also the impending decision to take Samantha off life support and the death of Wee Hamish Mowat which puts him in the crosshairs of lunatic henchman Reuben.
I love this series but I do wish there was some happiness for Logan in his personal life, I think he's suffered enough over the last few books and whilst it was sad it was also time for him to let Samantha go. Aside from this it was the usual black humour and break neck speed of the story that kept me glued to it for the two days it took me to read it. Another fantastic addition to the series which for the first time truly tested Logans ethics and left me wondering what direction this character will now go.
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My Top 10 books 2018
TOTALS
I read 24,764 pages across 143 books
These are my favourite reads from 2018 in no particular order.
1.
I read a lot of the Walking dead volumes this year but this one stuck out for me and the reason for that was the punch in the gut ending. Intense and shocking.
2.
I love Saga, so many unique characters but storylines that have universal appeal. Marko and Alana continue to fight for their family but that ending still made me sad.
3.
Futuristic story of a womens correctional facility and its inhabitants. A sci-fi take on a. patriarchal society where women are truly treated as second class citizens.
4.
Heartbreaking book about loss that will resonate with more than just YA readers.
5.
I loved the writing in this book, it flowed well and each story connected to the other stories creating a seamless read that was hard to put down. I'll be reading more about Clifton Heights this year.
6.
The 9th instalment in the Logan McRae series sees him trying to solve the mystery of a child who has been killed in a local pool. Equal parts grim and black humour this was a hugely enjoyable addition to the series.
7.
The Others series is almost at an end but the 4th book didn't disappoint with the continuing tension being ramped up between humans and the others. Again this series continues to be the book equivalent of chocolate and I scoffed it over a day.
8.
Fresh take on the zombie theme, Angel is a great character and her character growth is something that keeps you rooting for her to succeed.
9.
Jack Daniels book that sees her come up against Mr K and you find out about Jack as a much younger cop just starting out on the force. This whole series has been of a consistent high quality but this is my first 5* for the series.
10.
Compelling read that is very relevant for this day and age.
Those are my favourite reads for last year. Here are a couple of memorable mentions:
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24 Festive Tasks: Door 23 Hogswatch
hosted by Murder by Death, Themis-Athena, and Moonlight Snow
Task 1: glingleglingleglingle – if you could wish any kind of god(dess) into existence, what would they be in charge of? Dusting? Weeding? We’re not aiming high here… tell us!
I would love for there to be a god of home improvements. These projects are usually expensive and/or time consuming and at times difficult to complete yourself. Any help in this area from a god from be most welcome.
Task 2: Tell us: Did you or any kids you know ever have a funny or weird (the good sort of weird) encounter with a department store Santa, um, Hogfather?
I got nada, zip, nothing for this!. Pass.
Task 3: Which children’s myth / mythical character (Santa Claus, Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, etc.) did you never believe in even when you were little?
I could never get behind the idea of an Easter Bunny although I was totally for the concept of eating copious amounts of chocolate Easter eggs.
BAD!!!!
GOOD!!!
Task 4: Discworld features a number of inventions that mirror our world’s technology but work according to Discworld’s very own specifications; e.g., Hex, the ant-powered sapient thinking machine (computer) and a demon-powered picture box (camera). What other invention from our world would you have liked to see appearing in Discworld and how might it have worked there?
I haven't read any of the Discworld books yet so I can't say how things might work there.
Book: Read anything by Terry Pratchett.
Couldn't quite get to this, the only square I didn't read anything for.
2 points earned for Door 23
Total = 99
I've had a blast doing the festive tasks and managed to do much better than I thought I would so I'm chuffed to bits with my score.
Thanks to MbD, Themis-Athena and Midnight Snow for hosting.
Looking forward to next year's bingos and tasks.
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24 Festive Tasks: Door 22 New Year
hosted by Murder by Death, Themis-Athena, and Moonlight Snow
Task 1: Your 2019 Book Goals: what are they?
1. I'm setting my overall book goal at 125 which is less than this year but I'm hoping it'll be an easily achievable goal that I can go past without stressing.
2. I'm going to do the TBR challenge on GR and set a goal of reading 100 of my own books. The A-Z challenge for 26 books and Pages read which will be 125 books for the year.
3. Try to spend more time reading and less time worrying about reaching book goals.
Task 2: 2018 Reading Year in Review. Tell us about your year in books: happy? disappointed?
I managed to read 143 books this year.
5* reads
4* reads
3* reads
2* reads
My favourite book was:
My least favourite was:
Longest book read:
640 pages
Shortest book read:
13 pages
28 of this years reads were 5*, out of 143 I think that's pretty good. I had to change my reading goal mid way through the year as there was no way I would get through the 150 original goal. I wasn't far off but it was still disappointing.
I really enjoyed getting up to speed with the Walking Dead series and these proved to be 4 or 5* reads for each volume. There weren't that many terrible reads and they were mostly comic books that just weren't to my taste.
All in all I think it's been a fairly good reading year.
Task 3: New Year’s Book Lottery: Write the names of the first 5 books you’re planning to read in 2019 onto identical pieces of paper, fold them, place them in a bowl (or bucket, jar, box, etc.), and draw one to determine the very first book you’re going to start in the new year.
I got Boo to pick one out for me. My first read of 2019 will be:
Task 4: Find a bakery that sells Krapfen (German deep-fried sweet dough dumplings) or make them yourself (recipe here: https://germangirlinamerica.com/rheinische-ol-krapfen-new-year/) and enjoy with a glass of champagne or non-alcoholic bubbly drink – but first, take and post a photo of them!
As wonderful as these sound I don't plan on doing any baking for the moment.
Book: Read a book about endings, new starts, or books where things go BOOM!
3.5* read 31/12
4 points earned for Door 22
Total = 97
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24 Festive Tasks: Door 21 Kwanzaa
hosted by Murder by Death, Themis-Athena, and Moonlight Snow
Task 1: “Africa” was originally the name of the Roman province originating from the North African empire of Carthage, which was mythologically founded by Queen Dido and blossomed into Ancient Rome’s only lasting opponent and nemesis (until it was finally conquered by Rome in the Punic Wars). So: who are your five favorite book heroes and their respective nemeses?
Harry Potter vs Voldemort
Clarice Starling vs Hannibal Lector & Buffalo Bill
Katniss Everdeen vs President Snow
Logan McCrae vs Chief Superintendent Nigel Napier (Professional Standards)
Meg vs The Controller
Task 2: In Umberto Eco’s The Name of the Rose, the “Finis Africae” is the hidden center of the labyrinth which constitutes the monastery’s library, protected by a number of intricate, misdirecting devices. Tell us: Where have you recently encountered clever misdirection or a labyrinthine plot in a book?
There was a lot going on in this book, multiple crime story lines that all weaved together for an excellent read that kept me guessing til the end.
Task 3: Tell us: If you could travel to Africa (for those living on the African continent: to a part of Africa that you don’t know yet): Where would you want to go?
Madagascar, for the wildlife there.
Task 4: Have a meal involving vegetables (= crops) and / or corn, or another form of traditional Kwanzaa dinner. Recipe suggestions here: https://kwanzaaculinarians.com/
Pass on cooking anything at the moment.
Book: Read a book set in Africa or the Caribbean OR by an African, Caribbean, or African-American author OR a book with a green, red, or black cover.
5* read 30/12
4 points earned for Door 21
Total - 93
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24 Festive Tasks: Door 17 St Lucia's Day
hosted by Murder by Death, Themis-Athena, and Moonlight Snow
Task 1: In honor of the Icelandic Jólabókaflóðið / Yule Book Flood tradition, create a (virtual or physical) “book flood” and post a picture of it.
A book flood of my 5* reads for this year.
Task 2: Bake a Swedish lussebulle (saffron bun – instructions and recipe: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWSs-vQX0AI) or prepare some other dish containing saffron.
Pass on this, I'm not baking anything at the moment.
Task 3: Create a “crown of light” from book covers prominently featuring a lighted candle.
Task 4: Guess (scout’s honor, NO GOOGLING!): Did the Gävle Goat survive this year? This works like the Melbourne Cup Pick Your Ponies task: You get one point for guessing, and an extra point if you've guessed correctly -- which we'll reveal after Christmas (as this is how long the goat is *supposed* to survive).
For background: The Gävle Goat is a straw effigy erected in Gävle, Sweden, every year at the beginning of Advent. It is infamous for being burned down ahead of time, which as of Advent 2017 has happened in 37 of the 51 years of the tradition’s existence. – The Yule goat lore in turn goes back all the way to the Norse myths, where the god Thor rode a chariot drawn by two goats, and to ancient Indo-European and proto-Slavic beliefs according to which the harvest god appeared in the shape of a goat. Possibly, it is also linked with Santa Claus and his reindeer-driven sled.
I think it will be burnt down!
Book: Set in Scandinavia / Northern Europe, or by a Northern European / Nordic author, or a book newly released in November or December of this year.
3.5* read 30/12
4 points earned for Door 17
Total - 89
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24 Festive Tasks: Door 19 Festivus
hosted by Murder by Death, Themis-Athena, and Moonlight Snow
Task 1: It’s the annual airing of grievances! Time to list the top 5 books that disappointed you the most this year and let us know why!
Was looking forward to a gory graphic read from Garth Ennis but his usual attention to story and characters were missing from this.
Man competes in sex contest, this started out well but I thought the end was feel good and a cop out.
Frustrating read where just when you think something is going to happen the author ends the chapter, along with any tension built, and starts the next chapter on something different. 400 pages that was a bit of a snoozefest.
Wasn't a fan of the art, too many of the characters looked alike and the story wasn't that strong (at least in my opinion, I realise this gets a lot of love from fans). Enjoyed it more towards the end but too little too late.
As horrific as Mr Wiesel's story is I just found it to be too 'bitty' and fragmented. I can't help but feel that when your publishers make you condense an 800 page book to something about 125 pages the result is going to be a book that doesn't flow well.
Task 2: Take a picture of your Festivus Pole (and remember this is a family site).
Skipping this as I don't have anything I could use as a Festivus pole.
Update - at Themis-Athena's suggestion, here is my Festivus pole with bonus appearance of Boo.
Task 3: Have your household scales perform a feat of strength: Place 10 of your heaviest books in a stack on your scales and tell us what their total weight comes to.
10 books weighed 33.8kg, Boo is curious about the activity and decides to come over for a sniff.
Task 4: Google the word “Festivus” and tell us or take a screenshot of what you see at the left border of the results page.
Book: Read any comedy, parody, or satire.
4* read 30/12
5 points earned for Door 19
Total - 85
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24 Festive Tasks: Door 15 Sinterklaas / St. Nicholas Day
hosted by Murder by Death, Themis-Athena, and Moonlight Snow
Task 1: Write a book wish list to St. Nick.
Dear Santa,
Please may I have one (or all) of the following as I have been a very good girl this year (unfortunately).
Task 2: You are King / Queen for the day and can have 3 ‘wishes’: one for yourself, one for your community (however you define it), and one for the world: What are they?
Myself - Spend more time reading, relaxing and making time for family and social interests.
Community - End the madness of Brexit and just get on with it, no more referendums, no appeasing the EU, just leave even if it's with a 'no deal'. Britain will be fine but the constant fucking up on the part of the politicians is creating tension that will boil over soon.
The World - Everyone just needs to take a collective breath, we are teetering on the edge of no return. I am dumbfounded at times at the lack of common sense in todays society and how far people are wiling to go in the name of 'I'm right and you're wrong'. Freedom of speech, freedom of expression and respect of all political, cultural and religious views needs to be the norm.
Task 3: If your holiday family traditions should include bowls or plates filled with gingerbread, cookies, oranges / tangerines, chocolate, nuts and the like, share a photo with us!
My mum has a paper mâche Santa carrying a sack that we used to fill with chocolates. I don't think my mum has done this for a few years although the Santa still gets put out on the window sill as a decoration. I don't have a photo of it unfortunately.
Task 4: List your 3 favorite books involving children being rescued from serious peril.
Harry being rescued by Firenze in the forbidden forest.
Vic rescuing her son from Charlie Manx in Christmasland
Katniss risks her life to obtain medicine that saves Peeta's life.
Book: with an orange or red cover or with nuts, chocolate or coins on the cover, set in The Netherlands or Germany, by a Dutch or German author, or with canals or beer on the cover.
4* read 29/12
5 points earned for Door 15
Total - 80
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24 Festive Tasks: Door 18 Winter Solstice / Yuletide
hosted by Murder by Death, Themis-Athena, and Moonlight Snow
Task 1: Bibliomancy: Grab one of your larger books and flip to the indicated page and line number to answer the following questions - then post those answers for us:
Will I read all the books on my TBR?
(page 378, line 29)
'an APC to go meet directly with the chief of staff of the RGF. I had no'
I'm not sure what to make of this but it's 100% unlikely I will read the 1361 books that are currently on my TBR so that's a bit fat NO.
Will any of my 2019 reads be 5 stars?
(page 227, line 31)
'made our way back to RGF headquarters. There were no new check-'
Again too obscure but I'm a star slut so I"m betting there'll be more than a few 5* reads for me.
Will I discover a new favorite book / author / series?
(page 309, line 23)
'the loss of KIBAT and to thank him for leaving us with Belgian equip-'
I'm getting a more positive vibe from this line so I"m going to say yes.
Will I discover that a major twist (hopefully, for the [even] better) has occurred in one of my favorite series?
(page 459, line 16)
'ism. The question did remain: Which man best expressed Turquoise's'
I going to say no for this one.
Will I finish all of my reading challenges in 2019?
(page 69, line 7)
'own officers, they treated all others in the RGF, and even myself, with'
Nothing from this line gives an answer but I'm fairly positive I'll finish my reading goals.
Will I stay within my book budget in 2019?
(page 98, line 5)
'elected governments, headed by a Hutu moderate, had been toppled by'
I think that'll be a no, I never give myself a book budget anyway just buy what I need although this year has been a lot less than previous years.
Task 2: Tell us: What book did you read this year that felt like it was never going to end?
Some of the shorter books I read this year felt like they were never ending and I couldn't finish them fast enough to be done with them.
This was only 40 pages but felt like 400. Couldn't get through it fast enough.
Task 3: Round up a herd of reindeer on book covers and in book illustrations.
Task 4: Treat yourself to a bûche de Noel (French Yule log cake) – if you want to try and make it yourself, see recipe here: https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/buche-de-noel-recipe.
Pass on this, I'm too stuffed full of other food to even think about adding log cake into the mix.
Book: Any book that takes place in December or with ice or snow on the cover, revolving around the (summer or winter) equinox, or a collection of poetry by Hafez
3* read 26/12
4 points earned for Door 18
Total - 75
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