As I may have mentioned a time or two recently, the 23rd of November was the 50th anniversary of the British sci-fi show, Doctor Who. The BBC released a significant number of documentaries, interviews and special episodes to mark the event. For me, three highlights were An Adventure in Space and Time, The Night of the Doctor minisode and the multi-Doctor Day of the Doctor 50th anniversary episode. Day of the Doctor written by Stephen Moffat Genres: Sci-Fi Format: iTunes Season Pass, Blu-Ray DVD Starring: Matt Smith, David Tennant, John Hurt Length: 75 minutes Buy from Amazon • iTunes There are full spoilers below for all three, so please join me after the cut.
It’s always fun when you pick up a great read unexpectedly. I first saw Crewel by Gennifer Albin on the Tor website, where they were offering the first five chapters for free. The concept seemed very fresh (although reminiscent of the Three Fates from Greek/Roman mythology – can’t go wrong with an age-old story) and intriguing so I picked up the free five chapter sample. Before long I’d finished the first five chapters, and happily bought the full book. It really sucked me in. The premise of a girl who has the power to literally weave people’s life stories and that of her region proved as intriguing as my initial reaction and I really like where Albin seems to be taking this in the next book in the series. The characters were engaging enough, with about the depth you’d expect from a young adult novel. Adelice is no Arya Stark, but then again she’s no Bella Swan Cullen either. The novel is written purely from Adelice’s point of view, so she – and the reader – are never entirely sure which of the people she meets can be trusted. This increases the tension nicely. This is in a similar vein…
It’s always fun when you pick up a great read unexpectedly. I first saw Crewel by Gennifer Albin on the Tor website, where they were offering the first five chapters for free. The concept seemed very fresh (although reminiscent of the Three Fates from Greek/Roman mythology – can’t go wrong with an age-old story) and intriguing so I picked up the free five chapter sample. Before long I’d finished the first five chapters, and happily bought the full book. It really sucked me in. The premise of a girl who has the power to literally weave people’s life stories and that of her region proved as intriguing as my initial reaction and I really like where Albin seems to be taking this in the next book in the series. The characters were engaging enough, with about the depth you’d expect from a young adult novel. Adelice is no Arya Stark, but then again she’s no Bella Swan Cullen either. The novel is written purely from Adelice’s point of view, so she – and the reader – are never entirely sure which of the people she meets can be trusted. This increases the tension nicely. This is in a similar vein…
Some time after its publication, The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith was revealed to have been written by none other than J.K. Rowling. It was published under a pseudonym to allow the book to stand on its own merits and not that of its author. Until the revelation, it was selling slowly but surely and gathering positive reviews. It is difficult, if not impossible, to review this book without being aware of its authorship now that the secret is out. I would like to think though that I would have enjoyed the book as much whoever wrote it. It is a solidly written book, much more engaging than The Casual Vacancy which was written officially by Rowling. The Cuckoo’s Calling tells the story of Cormoran Strike, an ex-SIB private investigator hired to look into the apparent suicide of model Lula Landry. Initially it appears an open and shut case of suicide, but Strike’s client, Landry’s brother John Bristow believes she was murdered. Strike is ably aided and abetted by his temporary secretary, Robin. What I liked Meticulous planning. One of Rowling’s strengths as a writer is her detailed, long-term planning. In Harry Potter, minor throwaway lines in book…
Some time after its publication, The Cuckoo’s Calling by Robert Galbraith was revealed to have been written by none other than J.K. Rowling. It was published under a pseudonym to allow the book to stand on its own merits and not that of its author. Until the revelation, it was selling slowly but surely and gathering positive reviews. It is difficult, if not impossible, to review this book without being aware of its authorship now that the secret is out. I would like to think though that I would have enjoyed the book as much whoever wrote it. It is a solidly written book, much more engaging than The Casual Vacancy which was written officially by Rowling. The Cuckoo’s Calling tells the story of Cormoran Strike, an ex-SIB private investigator hired to look into the apparent suicide of model Lula Landry. Initially it appears an open and shut case of suicide, but Strike’s client, Landry’s brother John Bristow believes she was murdered. Strike is ably aided and abetted by his temporary secretary, Robin. What I liked Meticulous planning. One of Rowling’s strengths as a writer is her detailed, long-term planning. In Harry Potter, minor throwaway lines in book two…
Stella Bain by Anita Shreve is a historical novel that tells the story of Stella Bain, a young American woman serving as a volunteer in WWI France who wakes up in hospital one day with no memory of her identity or her past. It follows her struggle to discover who she is and then to reclaim her life. What I liked Engaging characters. I really enjoyed reading about the character of Stella and those who help and hinder her. She was well written and I felt absorbed in her story. The actions and reactions of the characters seemed authentic and consistent. I am not familiar with shellshock, but I can easily imagine its playing out as it did in Stella Bain. Beautifully drawn setting. The setting changes from a WWI field hospital to post war London and America, and each of them was wonderfully detailed and described. Each was very different, but well written. Nicely executed concept. Sometimes amnesia story lines can be very cheesy – think Teri Bauer in 24 – but it was well grounded and developed in Stella Bain. I’m not personally familiar with the psychology behind shellshock, but I felt the author had done her homework…
Stella Bain by Anita Shreve is a historical novel that tells the story of Stella Bain, a young American woman serving as a volunteer in WWI France who wakes up in hospital one day with no memory of her identity or her past. It follows her struggle to discover who she is and then to reclaim her life. What I liked Engaging characters. I really enjoyed reading about the character of Stella and those who help and hinder her. She was well written and I felt absorbed in her story. The actions and reactions of the characters seemed authentic and consistent. I am not familiar with shellshock, but I can easily imagine its playing out as it did in Stella Bain. Beautifully drawn setting. The setting changes from a WWI field hospital to post war London and America, and each of them was wonderfully detailed and described. Each was very different, but well written. Nicely executed concept. Sometimes amnesia story lines can be very cheesy – think Teri Bauer in 24 – but it was well grounded and developed in Stella Bain. I’m not personally familiar with the psychology behind shellshock, but I felt the author had done her homework…
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is a young adult dystopian novel which tells the story of Ruby, a young survivor of the IAANS plague. IAANS killed off most of the children between the ages of about eight and fourteen and those who survived, like Ruby, are left with supernatural powers. This frightens the government who responds by placing them in “rehabilitation camps.” The Darkest Minds is about Ruby’s escape from such a camp and her search for a way to live a normal life. What I liked Multi-layered characters. The people we meet in The Darkest Minds are generally neither wholly good nor wholly evil. There are a lot of shades of grey in the characters and it’s often difficult to tell whose side a person is on. Even those characters who are not, shall we say, altruistically concerned about Ruby’s welfare have good and believable motives for their actions. This adds a great deal of depth to the characters and a nice level of narrative tension. Even the mute Suzume has a real personality. Beautifully descriptive writing style. I immediately fell in love with Bracken’s way of writing. She has a wonderful way of describing things that made…
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken is a young adult dystopian novel which tells the story of Ruby, a young survivor of the IAANS plague. IAANS killed off most of the children between the ages of about eight and fourteen and those who survived, like Ruby, are left with supernatural powers. This frightens the government who responds by placing them in “rehabilitation camps.” The Darkest Minds is about Ruby’s escape from such a camp and her search for a way to live a normal life. What I liked Multi-layered characters. The people we meet in The Darkest Minds are generally neither wholly good nor wholly evil. There are a lot of shades of grey in the characters and it’s often difficult to tell whose side a person is on. Even those characters who are not, shall we say, altruistically concerned about Ruby’s welfare have good and believable motives for their actions. This adds a great deal of depth to the characters and a nice level of narrative tension. Even the mute Suzume has a real personality. Beautifully descriptive writing style. I immediately fell in love with Bracken’s way of writing. She has a wonderful way of describing things that made…
City of Glass by Cassandra Clare is the third in the Mortal Instruments series and ties up the first three books in the series. In it Valentine’s end game is revealed as is the truth about Jace’s lineage. What I liked Visiting Alicante, the so-called City of Glass. I was fascinated to see Alicante, the capital of the Shadowhunters. I personally would have liked to have seen more of how its inhabitants manage without electricity. Logical plot progression. All of the plot development within the book was entirely logical within the framework of the story. There were some surprises, certainly, but nothing to disrupt the internal logic of the story. The foreshadowing was well done and very subtle. The relationships. I was invested in all the key relationships: Jace/Clary, Luke/Jocelyn, Magnus/Alex. They were all beautifully written and I was happy that they worked out the way they did. What I didn’t like Pacing. For once I felt the pacing was slightly off. For a book that was supposed to tie up a lot of loose ends, there were a lot of slow moments, especially towards the beginning. Scenery chewing villains. Personally, I prefer my villains to be a little…