My Outstanding Reads of the Year – 2018 #Brainfluffbookblogger #MyOutstandingReadsoftheYear2018

It’s been another great reading year with loads of choice within my favourite genres, so I ended up reading 162 books with 125 reviews published and another 23 in hand. In no particular order, these are the books that have stood out from the rest in the best way. Some of them might not even have garnered a 10 from me at the time – but all those included have lodged in my head and won’t go away. And none of this nonsense about a top 10 – I can’t possibly cope with a limit like that.

The Stone Sky – Book 3 The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
The whole trilogy is an extraordinary read – a mash-up between fantasy and science fiction and sections of it written in second person pov. It shouldn’t work, but it does because her imagination and prose fuses together to make this more than a sum of its parts. See my review.

 

Hyperspace Trap by Christopher G. Nuttall
I like this author’s writing anyway and I’m a sucker for a well-told space opera adventure, so I read a fair few. However, something about this one has stuck – I often find myself thinking about those passengers on the space liner and the crew looking after them, while marooned by a malign presence. See my review.

 

The Cold Between – A Central Corps novel by Elizabeth Bonesteel
This is the start of a gripping space opera adventure with interestingly nuanced characters, whose reactions to the unfolding situation around them just bounces off the page. I love it when space opera gets all intelligent and grown-up… See my review.

 

The Green Man’s Heir by Juliet E. McKenna
This fantasy adventure is set in contemporary Britain with the protagonist very much hampered by his fae ancestry and trying to discover more about that side of his family. It gripped me from the first page and wouldn’t let go until the end, when I sulked for days afterwards because I wanted more. See my review.

 

Head On – Book 2 of the Lock In series by John Scalzi
This is such a smart, clever premise. The paralysed young protagonist is able to live a nearly-normal life because his consciousness is uploaded into a robot, when he pursues a career fighting crime. Science fiction murder mysteries are one of my favourite genres, when it’s done well – and this is a great example. See my review.

 

Before Mars – Book 3 of the Planetfall series by Emma Newman
This has been an outstanding series – and this tight-wound thriller is no exception. I love the fact that Newman tackles the subject of motherhood, which isn’t a subject that comes up all that often in science fiction. See my review.

 

Child I by Steve Tasane
I’ve been haunted by this book ever since I read it. It’s not long and the language is very simple. The little boy telling the story is bright and funny and not remotely self pitying. When I started reading it, I assumed it was set in a post-apocalyptic future – and then discovered that it was set right now and is the distilled experience of children from all over the world. And I wept. See my review.

 

The Wild Dead – Book 2 of The Bannerless Saga by Carrie Vaughn
This was the most delightful surprise. This is another murder mystery set in the future – this time in post-apocalyptic America once law and order has been re-established. I loved the atmosphere, the society and the above all, I fell in love with Enid, the no-nonsense, practical lawgiver sent to sort out the puzzle of a body of a girl that nobody appears to know. See my review.

 

The Great Alone by Kristen Hannah
As well as being a story of a family, this is also a homage to Alaska and a time when it was a wilder, less organised place. It isn’t one of my normal reads, but my mother sent me this one as she thought I’d love it – and, being my mum, she was right. See my review.

 

Fallen Princeborn: Stolen by Jean Lee
I’ve come to know the author from her amazing blog and was happy to read a review copy of her book – what I wasn’t prepared for was the way her powerful, immersive style sucked me right into the skin of the main character. This contemporary fantasy is sharp-edged, punchy and very memorable. See my review.

 

Eye Can Write: a memoir of a child’s silent soul emerging by Jonathan Bryan
This is another amazing read, courtesy of my lovely mum. And again, she was right. This is a non-fiction book, partly written by Jonathan’s mother and partly written by Jonathan himself, whose severe cerebral palsy locked him into his body, until he found a way to communicate with the outside world using one letter at a time. See my review.

 

Windhaven by George R.R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle
This remarkable colony world adventure is about a girl yearning to break into the closed community of flyers – and what happens when she does. I love a book all about unintended consequences and this intelligent, thought-provoking read thoroughly explores the problems, as well as the advantages of throwing open this elite corps to others. See my review.

 

Strange the Dreamer – Book 1 of Strange the Dreamer duology by Laini Taylor
I loved her first trilogy – but this particular book has her writing coming of age. The lyrical quality of her prose and her amazing imagination has her odd protagonist pinging off the page. See my review.

 

Battle Cruiser – Book 1 of the Lost Colonies series by B.V. Larson
This is just such fun. William Sparhawk is a rigidly proper young captain trying to make his way in the face of enmity from his superiors due to his family connections, when he’s pitchforked right into the middle of a ‘situation’ and after that, the tale takes off and buckets along with all sorts of twists and turns that has William becoming less rigid and proper… See my review.

 

Certain Dark Things by Sylvia Moreno-Garcia
That this author is a huge talent is a given – and what she does with a tale about a vampire on the run in a city that has declared it is a no-go area for the destructive creatures is extraordinary. Review to follow.

 

The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas
I’ll be honest – I liked and appreciated the skill of this book as I read it, but I didn’t love it. The characters were too flawed and unappealing. But it won’t leave me alone. I find myself thinking about the premise and the consequences – and just how right the setup is. And a book that goes on doing that has to make the list, because it doesn’t happen all that often. Review to follow.

Are there any books here that you’ve read? And if so, do you agree with me? What are your outstanding reads for last year?

Review of Library book Breach of Containment – Book 3 of the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel #Brainfluffbookreview #BreachofContainmentbookreview

I’ve read and enjoyed the previous two books in this engrossing, action-packed space opera adventure and very much looked forward to getting hold of this third book.

Hostilities between factions are threatening to explode into a shooting war on the moon of Yakutsk, and the two major galactic military powers, Central Corps and PSI, have sent ships to defuse the situation. But when a strange artefact is discovered, events are set in motion that threaten the entire colonized galaxy – including former Central Corps Commander Elena Shaw.

You can pick this one up and get involved in the adventure without reading the previous two books, but in order to get the very best out of it, I recommend that you go looking for The Cold Between and Remnants of Trust. Not only do these previous books give you a great insight into the world, Bonesteel tends to write her characters with layers and you will miss out on a fair amount if you aren’t aware of some key moments in their backstory.

It was with great pleasure and anticipation that I found myself back in this riven world, where the colonies, Earth, their appointed peacekeepers – the Corp and the shadowy PSI are all at odds with each other. And that doesn’t factor in some of the worrying moves made by a major terraforming mega corporation. So there is a complicated political standoff where tensions are running high. I love the way that Bonesteel juxtaposes these large major concerns with the issues in the lives of her major characters. As ever, the stage is set for a major adventure to kick off – and this time the domed human settlement of Yakutsk is the hub where the action initially begins. However, it isn’t where it ends…

The plot rackets along at a fair lick, which each character in this multi-viewpoint story giving their slice of the adventure. As ever, my main attention is snagged by the two main protagonists, Elena and Greg, who have been at the heart of the story since the first book. But I also really enjoyed learning more about Admiral Herrod, who was one of the main antagonists in the previous book. I always appreciate a writer who gives me a villain who isn’t your typical evil character, but someone trying to do the best they can while making morally wrong decisions along the way – which is the case for most of the ‘bad’ people I’ve encountered in my own lifetime.

This adventure held me until the end and in places really pulled at my heartstrings – it will be a long time before I forget the scene where Greg accompanies Captain Bayandi on his final mission… All in all, this was another storming addition to an excellent series. I note, with hope, that the ending leaves the way open for more adventures – so fingers crossed, Bonesteel is even now, planning the next slice in Greg and Elena’s lives. Highly recommended for space opera fans.
9/10

My Top Ten Favourite Reads of 2018 So Far… #Brainfluffbookblog

Now that we are more than halfway through 2018, what are my standout reads? So far this year, I’ve read 73 books and in no particular order, my top 10 favourites of the year so far are:-

The Stone Sky – Book 3 of The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
This whole series blew me away. The extraordinary viewpoint and the worldbuilding that takes a science fiction premise and pushes it right to the edge. It has an epic fantasy feel with a strong family dynamic and remarkable characters – and perhaps most important, concluded this series with sufficient drama and conviction.

 

 

The Hyperspace Trap by Christopher G. Nuttall
This space opera adventure, set on an intergalactic cruise-ship liner, was an unusual and riveting setting for this alien encounter. I liked the fact that the protagonists came from both the crew and passengers and enjoyed the growing tension as things slid away into a major emergency.

 

 

Blunt Force Magic by Lawrence Davis
I loved this one. A half-trained apprentice with loads of ability and no finesse finds himself having to stand against formidable antagonists. The chippy narrator and gritty take on this well-trodden path made this a memorably enjoyable read.

 

 

The Bitter Twins – Book 2 of The Winnowing Flame trilogy by Jen Williams
I’ve been a fan of Williams’ vibrant, energetic prose since I picked up The Copper Promise, but this one is an awesome braiding of both science fiction and fantasy. No mid-book slump here!

 

 

 

The Cold Between – Book 1 of the Central Corps novels by Elizabeth Bonesteel
This space opera focuses on the characters with ferocious intensity and we get a ringside seat as layered, plausible people grapple with their own lives in amongst the stars. Needless to say, there is also politics, greed and the need for revenge and love blended to make this one unputdownable once I’d started.

 

 

The Green Man’s Heir by Juliet McKenna
This is one of the reading highlights of the year so far. Set in England and steeped in the myths and folklore of this ancient land, the story follows the fortunes of a half-dryad man trying to trace his lineage. Needless to say, he is pitchforked into the middle of something dangerous and old…

 

 

 

Head On – Book 2 of the Lock In series by John Scalzi
I loved the first book in this futuristic crime series, Lock In, where victims of a terrible illness leaving them completely paralysed are able to upload their consciousness into robotic bodies. Our protagonist is now working for the police, investigating the murder of a sporting star, who plays a savage version of American football. Mayhem and action all the way…

 

 

 

Before Mars – Book 3 of the Planetfall series by Emma Newman
I’ve loved every one of these stories – and this one charting the fortunes of a woman newly arrived on a Martian outpost is another riveting read. It’s rare that motherhood is examined with any depth in science fiction stories – yet the protagonist has left a baby behind and is grappling with feelings of guilt and inadequacy. There is a terrible twist that those who have read the previous two books are waiting for…

 

Child I by Steve Tasane
You won’t have read anything quite like this one. The cover alone tells you it is something different – and yet I plunged into it, thinking it was set on a near-future, post-apocalyptic Earth. I was devastated to learn it is set right now and based on the testimonies of children alive today…

 

 

 

All Systems Red – Book 1 of the Murderbot Diaries novella series by Martha Wells
Hard enough to write a well-paced novella – writing convincingly as a security robot assigned to keep scientific teams out of harm is far more difficult. Yet Wells triumphantly pulls it off. A marvellous read – I just wish I could afford to read the rest of the series…

 

 

There were other near misses it hurts to omit – Isha Crowe’s quirky Gwithyas: Door to the Void, L.E. Modesitt’s Outcasts of Order and Children of the Shaman by Jessica Rydill to name but three. What about you – what are your favourite reads of the year, so far?

Review of Library book #Remnants of Trust – Book 2 of the #Central Corp novel series by #Elizabeth Bonesteel #Brainfluffbookreview #bookreview

I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series – The Cold Between – see my review here. Luckily, the library also had the second book, so I was able tuck into this one before I’d forgotten the plot of the first space opera adventure.

Six weeks ago, Commander Elena Shaw and Captain Greg Foster were court-martialled for their role in an event Central Gov denies ever happened. Yet instead of a dishonourable discharge or time in a military prison, Shaw and Foster and are now back together on Galileo. As punishment, they’ve been assigned to patrol the nearly empty space of the Third Sector. But their mundane mission quickly turns treacherous when the Galileo picks up a distress call: Exeter, a sister ship, is under attack from raiders.

This space opera adventure is a cracker – I love the complex characterisation and nuanced responses of the main protagonists. While this is a continuation from the first book, if you haven’t read it, I think you could still work out who was doing what to whom without too much difficulty. And while you might miss out on some of the extra ramifications, you certainly would be able to negotiate the world and follow the action, while appreciating what is at stake – which is a lot. However, to get the best out of this book, I do recommend that you get hold of The Cold Between and read it before tucking into this offering.

However, Bonesteel’s great strength is the portrayal of her cast. Elena is a great main character – she is a skilled mechanic as well as brave and stubborn. However, she also has vulnerabilities and weaknesses, too. As does every other character in this engrossing story, where as well as trying to fulfil their mission – or otherwise – they are all reacting off each other in highly stressful circumstances in ways that feel completely realistic. The pacing in this story is slower than the previous headlong pelt through the book, where Elena’s pairing with an unjustly accused PSI captain triggered many of the events that are reverberating through this more complex story with a wider scope.

I took my time reading this one – something I don’t do very often, because I simply didn’t want it to end. I love character-led adventures and Bonesteel’s writing really chimes with me. Other than Elena, whom I love, my favourite character is the abrasive, intelligent Raman Çelik, the captain of poor old Exeter, the ship that is attacked in the opening passage of the book. He isn’t very nice – in fact, he isn’t nice at all. But his charisma and tendency to jab at everyone around him to wind them up and his dogged determination to track down those responsible for the damage done to his ship and crew helps to power this story forward.

The final denouement is suitably exciting and an appropriate payoff for readers who have invested their time to read this gripping story – and I certainly didn’t realise who the traitor was. The initial main plotline – who is responsible for attacking the Exeter and why – is certainly adequately addressed in this adventure, but this is part of a trilogy and there is a massive plotpoint dangling with a sudden heartbreaking twist right near the end of this adventure. I’m very glad that the final book, Breach of Containment is due to arrive on the library shelves any day now – I’ve got an order in to read it as soon as it does, because I really, really want to know what happens next.

Highly recommended for fans of character-led space opera adventure.
9/10

#Teaser Tuesday – 29th May 2018 #Brainfluffbookblog

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by The Purple Booker.
Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is my choice of the day:

Breach of Containment – Book 3 of the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel

BLURB: Space is full of the unknown . . . most of it ready to kill you.

When hostilities between factions threaten to explode into a shooting war on the moon of Yakutsk, the two major galactic military powers, Central Corps and PSI, send ships to defuse the situation. But when a strange artifact is discovered, events are set in motion that threaten the entire colonized galaxy—including former Central Corps Commander Elena Shaw…

p. 106 “Wait.” He got to his feet, and she stopped. “Elena, I can’t send you on a military rescue.”
“It’s not a military rescue,” she reasoned, “it’s a PSI rescue. And you’re not sending me anywhere. I don’t work for you anymore.”
At that his jaw set, and she was abruptly aware she might have phrased that more tactfully. But when he spoke, he kept his temper. “Okay, then, how about this?” It’s irresponsible of you to head off into the unknown in a civilian shuttle. Ilyana’s got weapons. You don’t.”

I have read and thoroughly enjoyed the previous two books in this action-packed, engrossing space opera. So I was delighted to get hold of a library copy of this final book in the series and I’m really enjoying getting back in touch with these vivid, layered characters and this interesting world.

Apologies for not replying to comments – I will get to them but a rather scary thunderstorm yesterday knocked out our internet connection and fused our television. Hopefully a new router is on its way to us.

Review of Library book #The Cold Between – A Central Corps novel by #Elizabeth Bonesteel #Brainfluffbookreview #bookreview

I picked this one up at the library as I’m still into my space opera reading kick and it looked very promising.

Commander Elena Shaw is in dire need of shore leave and has tagged along with her firm friend Jessica to a bar that was recommended as ideal for visitors wanting a bit of fun, yet off the tourist trail. But when it comes to it – she finds she would rather be back on board and is just considering leaving, when an intriguing man starts to talk to her. A man that snags her interest, to the extent that she is able to ignore the fact that he is wearing the wrong uniform…

Take my advice and don’t read the very chatty blurb, which gives you some of the main plot points designed to draw you into the story – I just hate it when that happens! Instead, I have given just a introduction to the beginning of the first chapter, though, I hasten to add, while there is a significant love interest in this book, that’s not what is powering this vivid, intriguing mystery.

I really loved this one. Elena is an appealing protagonist, who has sufficient history to make her wary of being pulled into situations where she is liable to be hurt again. But this story is as much about Greg, a Central Corp captain who is defined by a tragedy in his past and how in the present he still struggles to put it into context. Of course, if the book was all about somewhat damaged characters staggering from the loves and losses of their past, I wouldn’t be giving this one the time of day – what makes it special, for me anyway, is the fact that it is set in a really intriguing corner of space.

Space opera is all about effective world building that gives a clear idea of the political and socio-economic setup across the galaxy without taking pages of dry information to do so. Bonesteel has this one nailed. Within a short space of time, I had a clear idea of how successful the colonisation attempts were and how effective the various terraforming projects have been – or not. Central Corps is the law enforcement agency that gets wheeled in to deal with events beyond the capability of colonists or the planetary police. As such, they need to be prepared for almost anything. So when something untoward happens to one of the crew, everyone is appalled and very shocked. I liked the fact that it really mattered to all the main characters, despite the fact that death is clearly part of the deal. It meant that the stakes mattered.

I stayed up far too late to find out what happens and burned through this one really quickly as I found it unputdownable. As with most mysteries, the good ones anyway, there were plenty of alternatives on offer as to what was happening before we got to the final climactic denouement, which was every bit as exciting and full of action as I could have hoped for. This one is highly recommended for fans of space opera.
9/10

Sunday Post – 8th April, 2018

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

We had a fairly quiet Easter week-end, partly due to the weather which was atrocious. It rained unceasingly with a biting wind. We hunkered down indoors and I appreciated not having to turn out for lessons and plunged back into bleeping Miranda’s Tempest. This book is driving me crazy – as soon as I think I’ve nailed the story, another aspect suddenly occurs and I need to add that into the mix. I managed to get to my writer’s group on Wednesday evening. It was the first time I’ve made it in a month, where – after regaling my long-suffering writing buddies with yet another instalment – we were wondering whether turning Miranda into a porn story would work. Lots of hilarity ensued when we worked out that a number of torrid sex scenes could be set on the good ship Titania, culminating in the underwater orgy involving nereids… I really needed that chance to laugh at the whole thing and I don’t think it was an accident that the next time I got a real run at it, the writing suddenly went a lot better. Bless them – nothing like friends to help ground you…

And talking of friends – my mate Mhairi came over on Thursday with her arm in a sling, having broken her radius. It was great seeing her and having a chance catch up. Other than that, I’ve been working and spending time with my sister, popping out for cups of tea and the occasional sticky bun. We haven’t yet got to Highdown Gardens to see the spring flowers because I’m not up for trudging in the rain or braving the biting wind. We have the grandchildren staying over this week-end and we’re hoping to get there today – fingers crossed! In the meantime, have a lovely week and I hope Spring is finally warming up with you – it’s still on the chilly side here.

 

This week I have read:

Remnants of Trust – Book 2 of the Central Corps novels by Elizabeth Bonesteel

Six weeks ago, Commander Elena Shaw and Captain Greg Foster were court-martialed for their role in an event Central Corp denies ever happened. Yet instead of a dishonorable discharge or time in a military prison, Shaw and Foster and are now back together on Galileo. As punishment, they’ve been assigned to patrol the nearly empty space of the Third Sector.

But their mundane mission quickly turns treacherous when the Galileo picks up a distress call: Exeter, a sister ship, is under attack from raiders.
I love a really quality space opera adventure where characterisation powers the story through a detailed, interesting world – and that’s exactly what I’ve got with this engrossing second book. I’m delighted that the third one will shortly be on the library shelves, ready for me to scoop up.

 

School for Psychics – Book 1 in the School for Psychics series by K.C. Archer

Teddy Cannon isn’t your typical twenty-something woman. She’s resourceful. She’s bright. She’s scrappy. She can also read people with uncanny precision. What she doesn’t realize: she’s actually psychic.

When a series of bad decisions leads Teddy to a run-in with the police, a mysterious stranger intervenes. He invites her to apply to the School for Psychics, a facility hidden off the coast of San Francisco where students are trained like Delta Force operatives: it’s competitive, cutthroat, and highly secretive. They’ll learn telepathy, telekinesis, investigative skills, and SWAT tactics. And if students survive their training, they go on to serve at the highest levels of government, using their skills to protect America, and the world.
I’ve always got a soft spot for school–based adventures and I enjoyed this one, too. Though there were times when I did wonder a bit about the behaviour of the protagonist – she seems very impulsive and rather self destructive in her behaviour. But as the story progresses some intriguing aspects surface and she matures sufficiently to start trusting the team of friends and colleagues around her. I am keen to know how the dangling plotpoint will play out in the next slice of this adventure.

 

My posts last week:

Sunday Post – 1st April 2018

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of Meet Me in the Strange by Leander Watts

Teaser Tuesday featuring School for Psychics – Book 1 of the School for Psychics series by K.C. Archer

Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring Song of Blood and Stone by L. Penelope

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Green Man’s Heir by Juliet McKenna

Friday Face-off – It’s a family affair… featuring The Rolling Stones by Robert Heinlein

Review of Children of the Shaman – Book 1 of the Children of the Shaman series by Jessica Rydill

Running Out of Space is free today!

 

Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:

A Dictionary of Unusual and Preposterous Words https://interestingliterature.com/2018/04/06/a-dictionary-of-unusual-and-preposterous-words/ If you are remotely interested in words, then this is something to check out…

Fatalism and Futility in Film Noir https://silverscreenclassicsblog.wordpress.com/2018/03/27/fatalism-and-futility-in-film-noir/ This is a fascinating indepth article I came across that will interest anyone who loves the film noir genre.

Why are reviews unpopular as blog posts? #Bookblogger #Bookbloggers #Blogger #Bloggers #Blog https://thetattooedbookgeek.wordpress.com/2018/04/01/why-are-reviews-unpopular-as-blog-posts-bookblogger-bookbloggers-blogger-bloggers-blog/ An interesting – and slightly depressing post – for those of us who write LOTS of books review…

Romance in Fantasy: Love is Not Dumb, it’s Dopamine http://fantasy-hive.co.uk/2018/03/romance-in-fantasy-love-is-not-dumb-its-dopamine/ I found this article really interesting – if you are a fantasy fan, it’s worth reading…

A Follycon comedy video and a podcast on The Green Man’s Heir http://www.julietemckenna.com/?p=2914 This is an article from Juliet McKenna, just pleased at the reaction for her stormingly good novel The Green Man’s Heir – but please also check in for the spoof panel on Men in Science Fiction Writing. Hilarious, but also with a real point to make. I haven’t seen women patronised to QUITE this extent over the years on panels at Cons – but at times, it’s been very close…

Have a great week and thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to visit, like and comment on my site.

Sunday Post – 25th March, 2018

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

I’m a day late with this as on Saturday evening my sister was admitted to hospital. She is still there under observation and recovering. As we also had the children staying over, it was a difficult time and yesterday there simply wasn’t space to post – and frankly it wasn’t on my list of priorities…

Thank goodness, no snow this week! For which I’m very grateful, though it hasn’t been all that warm, either… Last Sunday, I decided I was within touching distance of the end of the major rewrite of Miranda’s Tempest and given I didn’t have headspace for anything else, I just went for it. It turns out that I wasn’t as close as I thought, because I finally got to type THE END at 4.30 am on Monday morning. This was a really stupid move on my part, because I was teaching on Monday morning and in the evening until 9 pm, so there wasn’t much opportunity to catch up on my lost sleep. Indeed, I’ve been suffering from the effects of that missed night’s sleep for most of the week – tinnitus… buzzy… bad memory… sugar cravings… It’s easy to be wise after the event, because the novel was literally driving me crazy – though now I’ve a completed manuscript, I can now get a better feel of exactly where I want it to go and where to push the focus.

On Wednesday after Pilates and Fitstep, my sister, Himself and I had lunch together and arranged that as we were travelling to Ringwood on Thursday to visit my in-laws, we’d give my sister a lift so she could visit Mum, who lives less than ten minutes away from Himself’s parents. We had a lovely day visiting them, though the wind was bitterly cold in Fordingbridge where we had lunch – at least it didn’t rain. On Friday, we collected the grandchildren in the afternoon and in the evening Frances and I went over to see the first rough cut of Hoodwinked as Tim is in the last stages of editing it – a massive achievement. I was so very impressed with the way he’s put it together. There is something wonderful about the energy and strong emotional story, which the constant comedy running through the dialogue that had me laughing out loud more than once, despite editing the script and helping with the directing. On Saturday, we took Tim with us to see A Wrinkle in Time at the cinema, which we all enjoyed. While the story was somewhat predictable, what salvaged this for me was the quality of the performances, particularly by the children.

This week I have read:

The Cold Between – Book 1 of the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel
Commander Elena Shaw is in dire need of shore leave and has tagged along with her firm friend Jessica to a bar that was recommended as ideal for visitors wanting a bit of fun, yet off the tourist trail. But when it comes to it – she finds she would rather be back on board and is just considering leaving, when an intriguing man starts to talk to her. A man that snags her interest, to the extent that she is able to ignore the fact that he is wearing the wrong uniform…
Don’t read the blurb as it gives away far too many of the main plot points in the first quarter of the story – I’ve made up my own. What I would add is that despite that opener – this isn’t primarily a romance, it’s a space opera adventure, though there is a romantic thread running through it. It’s also great fun and highly recommended.

 

Burn Bright – Book 6 of the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Brigg

They are the wild and the broken. The werewolves too damaged to live safely among their own kind. For their own good, they have been exiled to the outskirts of Aspen Creek, Montana. Close enough to the Marrok’s pack to have its support; far enough away to not cause any harm. With their Alpha out of the country, Charles and Anna are on call when an SOS comes in from the fae mate of one such wildling. Heading into the mountainous wilderness, they interrupt the abduction of the wolf–but can’t stop blood from being shed. Now Charles and Anna must use their skills–his as enforcer, hers as peacemaker–to track down the attackers, reopening a painful chapter in the past that springs from the darkest magic of the witchborn…
I loved this one – and what really impressed me is that without having read any of the others in the series, I was able to pick up the book and immediately get drawn into the world. And it was a thoroughly enjoyable adventure, too…

My posts last week:

Sunday Post – 18h March 2018

Review of Virology – Book 2 of the Shock Pao series by Ren Warom

Teaser Tuesday featuring Burn Bright – Book 6 of the Alpha and Omega series by Patricia Briggs

Can’t-Wait Wednesday featuring Breach of Containment – Book 3 of the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel

Review of The Stone Sky – Book 3 of The Broken Earth series by N.K. Jemisin

Friday Face-off – Be a tower firmly set… featuring The Black Tower – Book 6 of the Adam Dalgliesh series by P.D. James

2018 Shoot for the Moon Challenge – February roundup

Interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week, in no particular order:

A woman’s work is never done, so why bother? https://blogging807.wordpress.com/2018/03/21/a-womans-work-is-never-done-so-why-bother/ This is a philosophy that I thoroughly subscribe to – be warned if you are inclined to visit…

Badass Book Smugglers – a historical reality? http://avalinahsbooks.space/discussion-badass-book-smugglers-historical-reality/ I loved reading this amazing story of resistance and bravery in the face of overwhelming odds.

80 Years of Caldecott Winners https://jenniefitzkee.com/2018/03/19/80-years-of-caldecott-winners/ This impressive list of outstanding children’s books is worth a visit, even if there aren’t any small people in your life requiring the written word…

Birds of the Far South (Pt.II) https://charlesfrenchonwordsreadingandwriting.wordpress.com/2018/03/19/bird-of-the-far-south-pt-ii/ For the bird lovers among you – or those that appreciate a wonderful photograph.

Have a great week and thank you very much for taking the time and trouble to visit, like and comment on my site.

Can’t-Wait Wednesday – 21st March, 2018

40276268 – vintage old pocket watch and book

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. It’s based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week’s Can’t-Wait offering – Breach of Containment – Book 3 of the Central Corps series by Elizabeth Bonesteel

#space opera #adventure #science fiction

Space is full of the unknown . . . most of it ready to kill you.

When hostilities between factions threaten to explode into a shooting war on the moon of Yakutsk, the two major galactic military powers, Central Corps and PSI, send ships to defuse the situation. But when a strange artifact is discovered, events are set in motion that threaten the entire colonized galaxy—including former Central Corps Commander Elena Shaw.

I picked up the first book The Cold Between at the library and loved it. So when I saw that this third book in the series is coming out this month, I should have time to read the second one before tucking into this one, too.