Here are the reviews for the books I read in January 2020:
Fantastic Mr Fox by Roald Dahl - 4 stars
Toast: The Story of a Young Boy's Hunger by Nigel Slater - 4 stars
Recap: Autobiography of his early life by chef Nigel Slater
Review: I really enjoyed the food memories as different dishes have a similar nostalgia for me plus my nan used to cook on an Aga! An incredible frank and honest account.
A Shaper's Farewell by Karen MacRae - 5 stars
Recap: Anna finally meets the black shaper in battle.
Review: I have very much enjoyed this series but the ending left me feeling flat, it seemed a little too easy? The black shaper was such a horrifying monster of a man, the baby scenes made me wince and want to cry, it feels a little like the light won too easily. I'm still awarding 5 stars because the book was well-paced, the characters well developed and the land tribe a masterful addition. Yes, we could have enjoyed them and their powers more if they'd been included in the first two books but it is what it is. Whilst this is an ending there are still many questions about what happens next to the characters and also questions about various backgrounds alluded to previously for different characters. There is such a wealth of world-building here, I see no reason why we can't have more shaper stories.
The First Fight by Lana Melyan - 4 stars
Recap: Nicky comes to terms with murder and together with her Scooby gang find another way to charge the sword.
Review: This is probably the episode with the most action for sure but there are also some great character developments and more backstory & world-building. We're really getting a good feel for everyone. I'm still waiting for that double cross lol! It's super fast-paced but it's a novella so it's got to cram everything in quickly. I've gone up to 4 stars because I keep coming back to the series, it's a quick read, ideal for busy mum life and the characterisation is consistent. At the moment we have a no-cost magical system which is a little naive but hopefully, there will be some big consequences.
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake - 3 stars
Recap: Young Rose eats a lemon cake and tastes her mum's emptiness and sadness. This is the story of how she adapts to her gift and learns about her brothers.
Review: I enjoyed reading about Rose and her gift. I was utterly unsympathetic towards her mother and I felt such sadness for her dad and her brother. Joseph disappearing into the chair was so sad, whether it's a metaphor or an actual event. I loved George. I was a little disappointed with the ending but I'm not sure why I guess I was waiting for something else to happen. I'm glad Rose found some happiness in the little bistro, learning to cook.
The 24-Hr Cafe by Libby Page - 3 stars
Recap: Mona & Hannah work at Stella's 24hr cafe, they're best friends but their lives are about to radically change.
Review: I really liked the brief glimpses into the different people who came into the cafe, I also enjoy people watching! I'm not a big fan of having the same story told twice by different POV but I did like how present-day prompted the flashbacks. I didn't feel much sympathy for Hannah which was a shame as I felt I should've. I really connected to Dan for some reason, I wish wishing for him to come back to the cafe and I really liked his follow up. A decent rainy day read in your local cafe, buy cake!
Austin Wyrd by Steve Curry - 3 stars
Recap: Doorman Magnus discovers a mutilated body outside the heavy metal club he works at. Then everything hits the fan.
Review: I like Magnus but not the excessive beatings he received, it gets repetitive. Norse mythology is very popular at the moment and kudos for setting it in modern-day however references to Norse gods, Valhalla etc only make sense if the person reading it knows anything about it and I didn't know all the names referenced. I love the dog, the raven and the fox - I want to know more about the fox! I liked Maureen, she feels powerful in her own right but every woman in the book was over-sexualised which was a shame. There are a lot of interesting characters in this book - the Professor, Drew, Magnus himself of course and the set up for book two is nicely done. I would give this book 3.5 stars.
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - 3 stars
Recap: Percy Jackson discovers he's a demigod, son of Poseidon.
Review: I've been meaning to read these since I watched the films years ago and only just got round to it. I was checking them out as bedtime reading for my son and I think they're a little too old atm but hopefully, the ordinary boy who fights Greek myths and monster will entertain him in a few years. Paced well, sympathetic main character, gods in modern setting are always amusing. Very much liked the poker statue ending.
The Elixir Deception by Margena Holmes - 3 stars
Recap: With Elixir being made on two new planets, pirates see their opportunity to steal it for themselves.
Review: Good to see all the characters back together again. The premise is a little bogged down with more tell than show, but the story is interesting and Evalycer is a kick-ass character. She obviously has a lot of back story to explore.
The Last Bell by Lana Melyan - 4 stars
Recap: Nicky survives a vamp attack but tragedy strikes and her entire world changes.
Review: These novellas get better and better, probably because now we are so invested in the characters and storyline. The love story is really endearing. For a moment I thought Logan was going to be a double-crossing bad guy, to be fair there is still time lol. When you can draw parallels with other genre favourites like True Blood and Twilight then you know you're in your happy place. And I actually really like how short they are because I know I can sit down and read an episode in a day which is very satisfying.
Soulless by Gail Carriger - 5 stars
Recap: Alexia Tarabotti is attacked by a vampire who should've known better. She tries to investigate but things don't quite go to plan.
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this and will definitely be reading the next one. Alexia is a great character - strong-willed but with her own insecurities, wise in some ways and naive in others, possessing unique abilities in a supernatural world. Great world-building and social rules incorporating Victorian etiquette. I particularly liked the bodice-ripping love story! Recommended read.
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - 4 stars
Recap: Female society is reformatted.
Review: It has taken me much longer than it should have for me to get round to reading this book, consequently the hype from the tv show and the release of book two has coloured my expectations somewhat. However, I enjoyed the manner of storytelling, the final report at the end adding some clarity to the delivery. I am itching to watch the tv show now as well. The scariest part of the book is how easily their society changed, how little people were able to object, how fast it happened and how accepting people were of the change. It's a little too close to reality, I think those make the best dystopian stories. I was bitterly disappointed with the ending because I wanted to know what would become of our handmaiden but then that matches her retelling of how she supposed things happened. Now I get to imagine her fate.
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