Getting To Know... Linda Hill

Today is my last Getting To Know... of 2016 and I am extremely delighted to be welcoming book blogger Linda Hill of Linda's Book Bag to Life Of A Nerdish Mum! 

You have an absolutely wonderful (and busy) blog, Linda's Book Bag, what inspired you to set this up?

Thanks for your kind words about the blog! I set up Linda's Book Bag because I wanted to share my love of books. I'd been a reviewer on the reader panel for https://www.lovereading.co.uk/ so I was already sharing reviews there and years ago I used to review teenage fiction for Hodder to see if it would be suitable for inclusion as class readers for KS3. Both these things made me feel it would be good to have my own blog where I could write about the books I'd enjoyed. Since then, it's grown and I also have guest posts, extracts, interviews and giveaways, especially to support those independently published authors who don't have a huge budget behind them for publicity.

On average how many books do you read in a year? Do you set yourself an annual goal?

Normally I would read between 150 and 200 books a year, but life has been tricky of late and I have hardly had any time for reading. I set myself a challenge on Goodreads to read 125 books this year and at the moment I'm on 106 but I have several reviews that I haven't added there yet as they are for blog tours coming up.

Do you have a favourite place to curl up and read?

Ideally it would be in the sun in the garden or on a beach, but anywhere will do. I really like long haul flights as I can get into a book and just read for the duration, so I suppose you could say a plane seat is a favourite place to read too - even in cattle class!

Do you have a particular way of organising your bookshelves or are books just placed where they fit?

You know, I used to be the most organised person in the universe, but now I'm so overwhelmed by books that they are everywhere. I have three book cases in the sitting room and one on the landing, 300 books under the spare bed, a huge set of shelves in my study (about a third of which is represented in the photo) and then a few (cough) awaiting a place on the side in my study too. That's after taking over 2000 between my husband and me to the Sue Ryder charity bookshop in Spalding over the last three years as we were supposed to be clearing out!

When you're not reading what would we find you doing?

First and foremost I'll be drinking tea. I'm addicted to it. After that I'll be outside. I love to garden and have an allotment. I spent 30 years moaning that our garden is too small so my husband organised an allotment for my birthday to shut me up and I'll often be seen there amongst my leeks and beetroot. We go for lots of walks and love to travel too. We've been all over the world from Antarctica to Zambia and have booked Lapland for our next trip followed by Uganda, where we will be trekking in the hope of seeing gorillas in the wild as wildlife is a huge passion too.

You were an English teacher, is that where your love of reading came from, or have you always been a big reader?

No, definitely not. I was a late reader. My sight is really poor and as I have an older sister who used to read with me, as my parents were so poor they were always working, no-one realised and it wasn't until I got glasses at the age of 8 that I really began to read. It was a miracle that those smudges had a shape and were letters that formed magical words. After that there was no stopping me and I read as much as I could as often as I could.

When you were a teacher, did you have a favourite book to teach as part of the curriculum?

Gosh, that's a tricky question. I always enjoyed teaching Macbeth as it's so dramatic and accessible. I loved reading Of Mice and Men with my students, although every time I taught it I still cried at the end and I think some of them thought I was mad. However, not a book, but a poem sticks in my mind most - Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen. I had a top set of absolutely wonderful 15 and 16 year olds. We had been studying the war poets and it just happened that I was teaching them over the two minutes' silence at 11AM on one 11th November. I'd shown them the final episode of Blackadder Goes Forth (the episode when they go over the top and are slaughtered) and then we read and discussed the poem. We finished, by chance, exactly as the bell rang for the silence and at the end all of us were in tears. It was so moving I've never forgotten it.

Bookmark, random bit of paper or dog ear?

I nearly passed out when I saw 'dog ear - NO! NEVER! Though I have to admit, I have scores of wonderful bookmarks but more often than not it's whatever I have to hand - nail file, pen, specs, post-it, passport.

Do you have a favourite author?

Every time I read a book that touches my soul the writer becomes a favourite author. And since I began blogging there have been so many that it's impossible to say. From the classics it has to be Thomas Hardy.

Will we see a book by you in the future? If yes, what genre can we look forward to?

I have actually got my name on around 18 books as author and editor but they are all non-fiction resource books for teachers and students so I don't feel they count! I began NaNoWriMo in 2015 and have completed 26,000 words of a novel which could loosely be called women's fiction. I didn't finish it then as my husband was diagnosed with cancer on 6th November and that took all my time and attention. Since then 2016 has been so fraught waiting for my husband to get the all clear in February and again in September after more surgery and then the near death of my Dad from sepsis and the actual death at full term birth of our great niece Emma that, I didn't have the emotional energy for writing. I was going to complete it this November in NaNoWriMo, but when November arrived I'd spent 3-6 hours a day for the previous three and a half months visiting my Dad in hospital after he had a terrible stroke in July and supporting my Mum. Dad died on 9th November and the funeral was 25th with all the arrangements that causes so perhaps I'll do my own DeWriMo instead!

Thank you so much to Linda for taking the time to join me and answer my questions and for sharing with me so much.

To connect with Linda

Blog - https://lindasbookbag.com/

Twitter - @Lindahill50Hill

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/LindasBookBag/?fref=ts

Getting To Know... Sandra At Book Lover Worm

Today Life Of A Nerdish Mum is welcoming Sandra from Book Lover Worm to Getting To Know... 

Your blog, Book Lover Worm, is for all things bookish (and is wonderful). What inspired you to set this up?

Thanks! I started reviewing books, I think because I was aware more reviews got authors more awareness and I found it useful for me and my own records of what I'd liked and disliked.  After a while I realised that I was quite restricted in what I could do and wanted something that was more mine, than say Goodreads, so I started the blog and I'm really pleased with how it's doing given all the other things I have going on at the moment.

Looking at your reviews, you seem to have a preference for crime fiction, what is it that draws you to this genre?

I've always loved crime fiction. I started off reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys and other things like that when I was younger and moved on to Agatha Christie (books and tv/films) and it's progressed from there.  I like all types of crime fiction from cosy mysteries to gory crime and psychological thriller.  On a basic level I like the mystery itself, who did it and why but I'm also intrigued by the inner workings of someone's mind, what drives them to commit a crime. Why someone commits a crime will always be specific to them and it's that individuality that I find fascinating.

When you're not reading what would we find you doing?

Probably reading! I started an MSc in September which involves a lot of reading so if I'm not reading fiction then I'm probably deep into non-fiction, research articles or legal stuff.  Apart from that I like gaming, though my PS3 is quite neglected just now.  I also like going to the cinema but also watching tv at home, I'm a sci-fi fan so enjoying watching boxsets of Stargate SG-1 and Star Trek Voyager just now. Having said that I also like Disney/Pixar films so you might catch me watching one of those if I'm having a rare afternoon off!

Do you have a specific way that you organise your bookshelves or are they a random hotch potch?

I have one shelf full of books I haven't read yet. I also have a separate pile of books I've been sent for review but other than that I arrange my bookshelves so that the tallest books are at one or both ends, smallest in the middle and then I arrange based on what looks best to me always keeping books by the same author together.  

On average, how many books do you read in a year? Do you set yourself an annual goal?

I only started reading again a few years ago after not reading for ages due to a great deal of personal upheaval.  After the first year I discovered the Goodreads challenge and signed up so I could find out how much I read in a year but it varies hugely. For instance last year I think I read about 60 books whereas this year I'm already at 92 and it's still November, while I'm answering this, so I expect to reach at least 100 before the end of the year.  

What was your favourite book or series when growing up? 

I've already mentioned reading Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys but I also liked the Chalet School series and Sweet Valley High and a few of the Point Horror books. 

Bookmark, random piece of paper or dog ear?

Bookmark if I can find one or if the book is a special edition or fragile in some way, otherwise I dog ear I always have. I know lots of people don't like it but I find it really handy and it reduces the chance of losing a bookmark while on the train or out somewhere.

Do you have a favourite place to curl up and read?

I like reading in bed at night, I've posted the odd tweet to that effect, but if I'm not there I tend to be on the small sofa that I have which has a lamp and table next to it. This means I can have book, light, drink and snack all within easy reach. The lamp is bright enough to read by but not overly bright so it creates a nice, cosy corner of the lounge which is especially lovely in winter when it's dark outside.

Do you have a favourite author?

Now this is a tricky one! I have lots of authors I like, as I suspect does everyone, but there are a few that I always get impatient waiting for their next book to come out. Currently they are J.D. Robb (loving the In Death series!), Lucy Diamond, Rebecca Raisin and Rachael Lucas (always excited about their next books) and Paul Doherty and M.J. Lee (both write amazing historical crime fiction)

You recently passed a creative writing course, does this mean that we will see a novel from you in the near future?

I would love to write a novel, it's something I've thought about doing for years but never been sure if my writing was good enough.  The creative writing course showed me that while I am not currently a brilliant writer I can produce good work so hopefully, once things settle down or post MSc, I might manage to produce a full novel rather than just 2000 word stories.

Thank you very much to Sandra for joining for me! 

To Connect With Sandra at Book Lover Worm

Blog - https://bookloverwormblog.wordpress.com/
Twitter - @bookloverworm1

Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas - Day 3

Onto day three already of my Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas Feature and todays stand out choice from March is from a different format of book, a manga.

Day 3 - March Book - Attack On Titan: Vol. 1 by Hajime Isayama

In this post-apocalytpic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what's left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 100-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.

My Thoughts

I only discovered manga and anime in 2014 when a good friend lent me the first volume of Black Butler and introduced us (me and the hubby) to the anime FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood. Since then we've watched a lot more anime and I have been trying out as many different mangas as I can. I've been intrigued by the hype surrounding Attack On Titan, but I didn't have the time to watch the anime so I asked my friend if I could borrow the first few volumes of Attack On Titan and he kindly agreed. 

This first book stood out so much to me as it really started off the series with a bang and you got almost straight into the action while getting to know the characters. I immediately fell in love with Mikasa, she is a really strong and badass female character. For me she really shone! The artwork was a lot more amateur than I had experienced with other mangas, but I actually feel that this added to the books charm and it has made it stand out in my memory (not in a bad way). The story was very different to anything I've read before and it was really exciting. I thought some of the ideas were so incredibly well thought out and actually sounded plausible like the harness the fighters wear to get around. 

I enjoyed this (and the second and third volumes) so much, I am now collecting my own copies of the manga as I want the whole collection in my library and I can't give a better recommendation than that. 

I will be back tomorrow with my April stand out book, I really hope you're enjoying this feature so far! Do you have any stand out books from the year? Have you read or seen Attack On Titan, if you have let me know what you thought. 

About The Author

Hajime Isayama (諫山 創 Isayama Hajime, born 1986) is a Japanese manga artist from Ōyama, Ōita. His first and currently ongoing serial, Attack on Titan, has sold over 22 million copies as of July 2013. He has mentioned Tsutomu Nihei, Ryōji Minagawa, Kentaro Miura, Hideki Arai and Tōru Mitsumine as artists he respects, but stated that the manga that had the biggest influence on him was ARMS.

Twelve Days And Twelve Books Of Christmas - Day 1

Today I am kicking off my Twelve Days and Twelve Books Of Christmas feature and I'm going all the way back to January with my first recommendation. I will be covering one book a day for each month of the year up until Christmas Eve just in case you missed my announcement in my November wrap up. 

Day 1 - January Book - Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

My Thoughts 

When Six Of Crows came out at the back end of 2015 I didn't really pay too much attention as I'd never read the Grisha Trilogy and so it never really came onto my radar. As more and more reviews came out and people were raving about it... and lets be honest the cover is flipping beautiful... I thought I'd at least take a look to see if it was a stand alone and what the synopsis was. I was instantly sold. I've never read a heist book (that I can remember) and the band of motley crew sounded so interesting. Finding out that it could be read without reading the Grisha Trilogy first just sealed the deal and off I went to buy it. It must have meant to be though as the book I bought is signed by Leigh Bardugo!

I would share my review but ahem this is it so far - "Review to follow when I have the words!" Even now I have a struggle not to just gush about how much I loved the world and the characters and that I thought the story was just so exciting. Hopefully this should tell you just how much I enjoyed it. I will be writing a proper review, but I plan on reading it again first so that I can hopefully put into words my feelings and to prepare me for Crooked Kingdom (which I own but I just haven't had the time to read yet so no spoilers if anyone has read it!). Also when I finished reading Six Of Crow I immediately went out and bought the Grisha Trilogy and I'm looking forward to reading them in 2017.

So this is my first recommendation. Have you read Six Of Crows or any Leigh Bardugo? If you have what did you think?

Tomorrow I will have my February book choice, so please come back to check that out!

About The Author

Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising). 

She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she’s lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. Her new book, Six of Crows, arrives fall 2015.

She would be delighted if you followed her on Twitter, elated if you visited her web site, and downright giddy if you liked Shadow & Bone on Facebook. 

Getting To Know... Anna Osborne

Today on Getting To Know... I am welcoming Anna Franklin Osborne, author of Walking Wounded. 

Your debut novel, Walking Wounded, is set across WWI and WWII, what was the inspiration for using this time period?

I live in the past! I love historical fiction and spend an awful lot of time immersed in it. We were walking on a D-Day beach (simply because our ferry was late) and I began telling our kids about my 3 great-uncles who were there on that day, and about my gran, who stitched parachutes in preparation, then began reflecting on the fact that we all have not-so-distant relatives who were part of this incredible era. I began at the end of the 1st world war because I am interested in how war shapes lives, during and afterwards, as everybody picks up pieces of a life which was thrust upon them, and not necessarily what they had chosen.

When you're writing, do you have a set routine or schedule that you like to follow?

Er - not at all, I'm a working mum! When I realised that I was serious about writing, I bought a little tablet, small enough to fit into my handbag, on the basis that if it wasn't with me at all times, this just wouldn't happen. I typed most of Walking Wounded with this balanced on the steering wheel in my car waiting to pick up my daughter (she is beautifully featured on the cover!) so I suppose you could say I had a routine - 15 minutes every day between 3pm and 3.15! I also wrote in the mornings on holiday on a camping table amongst the pine trees while my family slept on inside our camper- all snatched but precious moments.

You have previously written some short stories, do you have a preference between writing them or a novel?

I love writing short stories and intend to do more - I find they can be such powerful little snapshots leaving a lot to the readers imagination. I never thought I could write a novel but found Walking Wounded unfolded as fast as my fingers could type, and now I must confess I can't wait to get into something bigger again - the beauty of a novel is that you really see it through to its fruition. So no, no preference, I see them as utterly different things - it's like asking me to choose between a Cadbury's Creme Egg and a bacon sandwich...

You are part of a choir, Chicken Soup, have you always been a singer?

No! I always sang in the shower and wished I could try it for real - I wasn't part of a church and the science set at school was never offered a chance to join the choir when I was a kid so never really had the opportunity. I received a flyer in my son's school bag one day, advertising a free, non-denominational choir locally, and decided to Just Do It. I went along, literally shaking with nerves, and LOVED it! I When this little group closed down, I went on to another and then to Chicken Soup (so named because chicken soup is good for you) and have never looked back. I now have lessons too and have done a tiny bit of solo work, which I think has to be the most exposed thing I have ever tried, and I really think being part of this wonderful group of people helped me realise that I had a creative side that needed exploring more. As I'm no artist, I tried writing...

When you're not writing what would we find you doing?

In my dreams or in real life?

In my dreams, sailing. Exploring a different place every day, sitting on deck with a glass of local wine every evening watching the sun go down with my husband at my side...

In real life, I continue to spend an awful lot of time running between my 2 jobs and ferrying the kids to all their clubs! the Mummy Taxi days are not over for some long time to come...

Do you have a favourite character that you have written so far?

No, not really, I loved them all! Possibly Stanley, because both the actual facts and our family folk-lore made him seem such a wonderful figure to me as I grew up that I was excited to imagine who he really was and what he was really like.

You are also a chiropractor, can you tell us anything about that and maybe give some tips to readers for how they should look after their backs?

Don't sit for too long!!!!! We are NOT designed for it - set a timer on your desk so you don't get swept away when you're writing - you should stand up and pace about for a couple of moments every 20 minutes - that's how little time it takes for your discs to start to deform under pressure!! And rescue a dog - 2 walks a day are the best way of staying active and fit for years to come.

Have you always known that you wanted to be an author?

Yes, I think so, but that was after astronaut and ballet dancer so it's lovely that this particular dream came true!

Do you have a favourite author?

No. I love so many different authors and genres. But perhaps, as I have spent so much time curled up in my armchair at sea with Jack Aubrey, I think I might have to choose Patrick O'Brian - the Jane Austen of the High Seas!

What can we look forward to from you next?

I am 'cooking' the idea for another novel now so hopefully I will be ready to start again very soon. I hadn't realised how much time and effort was involved in the aftermath of publication and am currently struggling to find time (again!), but will make it happen soon - my fingers are itching to start...

Thank you so much to Anna for taking time out of promoting Walking Wounded to answer my questions. 

To connect with Anna

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/GooseWingPublications/?fref=ts
Website - http://www.goosewingpublications.com/

Walking Wounded

Born at the end of the First World War, a young girl struggles to find her own identity in her big family and is pushed into a stormy marriage through a terrible misunderstanding from which her pride refuses to let her back down. As her own personal world begins to crumble, the foundation of the world around her is shaken as Germany once again declares war and her brothers and young husband sign up with the first wave of volunteers. 
Walking Wounded tells the story of those left behind in a Blitz-ravaged London, and of the web of loyalty, guilt and duty that shapes the decisions of the women awaiting the return of their men-folk as the war draws to a close. 
Spanning the period from the Armistice of the First World War to the exodus of the Ten Pound Poms to Australia in the 1950s, Walking Wounded is a family saga whose internal violence is mirrored by the world stage upon which it is set. 

The Last Star & Other Stories by D.L. Orton - Review

I've really been enjoying reading short story collections recently and I received a copy of The Last Star & Other Stories by D.L. Orton direct from the author in exchange for an honest review so I was really looking forward to picking this up. 

The Last Star & Other Stories

From Award-Winning Author D. L. Orton comes a funny, thought-provoking, and sensual collection of short stories. Laugh, cry, and linger over these brief but intense glimpses into the lives of a billion-year-old AI, two awkward young lovers, a captive dolphin, an ageing woman, and more. Share the wonder, experience the pain and pleasure, take the journey...

The Last Star
Two beings watch the last star in our universe wink out and discover the answer to how it all ends. And, perhaps, how it all begins.

Just Friends
Friends since they carried Scooby-Doo lunch boxes in second grade, two college students take the awkward, irreversible, and perilous step away from just friends. 

Phoenix
You think your roommate is bad, try living with a practical-joke-playing, drop-dead-gorgeous, celebrity femme fatale. No one is safe from her wiles, least of all you. 

My Kingdom for a Double Espresso
Is sex just a physical thing for guys? You know you're in trouble when your girlfriend tosses that out after you make the mistake of falling asleep on her...

Down in Flames
Personal tragedy played against a background of public disaster leaves one woman stuck in a very personal hell—and hoping for a second chance.

Willing
Right now, at this every instant, you are older than you have ever been—and younger than you will ever be again. There will never be a better time to find love.

The Idiot's Guide to Writing Workshops
(Or How to Review a Manuscript & Not Risk Getting Run Over in the Hotel Parking lot)

The Devil and a Hard Place
After all the time spent apart—all the doubts, all the denial, all the lonely nights—a love that refuses to die draws them back together like darkness and dawn.

My Review

I really enjoyed this collection and I liked that though there was a loose theme of different kinds of love, the stories were all vastly different.

The stories are all well written and though they are short, you don't feel like anything has been sacrificed to fit the short story format.

There were two absolute stand out stories for me for completely different reasons. The first of which is the title story, The Last Star, I found this story absolutely fascinating. It's about the two last sentient beings in the universe watching as the last star dies and they're thinking about their lives and how they spent them and wondering about what will happen next. The end was also extremely satisfying.

The second one that stood out was Down in Flames, this was so very, very difficult to read for two different reasons. The first being the memory of 9/11 and just how many lives were lost and how much it has changed and affected life. The other reason is the personal loss of the woman in the story, it's heartbreaking going through what she goes through as she does. What makes it more poignant is that from what I understand from the annotations is that this is a true story. I find reading anything of this kind very painful and very rarely make it through a story or article about this kind of thing, so the fact I made it the whole way through says a lot about the quality of the writing to keep me reading.

The only story I felt didn't fit was The Idiot's Guide To Writing Workshops, not because it was bad as it is incredibly insightful and amusing, but because I personally don't feel that it feels the theme or tone of the rest of the stories. I did enjoy this story but I would have preferred it in a different collection.

Overall a great collection and one that covers some important topics.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Through The Gloaming by Katrina Jack - Review

Recently I was lucky enough to review Land Of Midnight Days by Katrina Jack, the first book in The Silver Flute Trilogy and I absolutely loved it! (my review is here) So when I got the chance to review the second book, Through The Gloaming, I absolutely jumped at it. If you haven't read the first book or at least my review, then head off and go and do that first. I will try and keep this as spoiler free as possible, but I'd hate for something to slip through and me not to have warned about it! 

Through The Gloaming

Sequel to Land of Midnight Days, Jeremiah's journey continues.

Robbed from birth of his voice, Jeremiah Tully is nonetheless a musician of astonishing ability. Having fled after the demon wars to a place of tranquility, he must now return to the city and start all over again.

This time his journey will take him into The Gloaming, a world steeped in perpetual twilight and filled with tormented souls, trapped forever in semi darkness.

My Review

We join Jeremiah and the gang, 6 months after the ending of Land Of Midnight Days and Jeremiah and Helen are in the land of the Elwyn but the time has come for them to return to the "real" world as their battle has not ended but only just begun.

I found I still loved all the characters throughout this book, in particular Jeremiah. Joe and the Monk. The Monk is a new character to the story but made a huge impression on me and I thought he was incredibly interesting. We also meet the Abbot in this book and he is an incredibly hateful but intriguing character as you can't help but thinking there's more to him than meets the eye. Sylvan (Jeremiah's mum) shows a lot of character growth in this book and I definitely started to feel a little warmer towards her. Zeb is his usual boorish self and I still cannot find anything to make me like him any more. He rushes into situations and causes more problems than necessary.

We see a lot more of Jeremiah's power of "seeing" peoples memories in Through The Gloaming which was really well used and made flash backs and explanations a lot more immersive as you were experiencing them the same as Jeremiah was. I'd like to see if Jeremiah has even more powers going into the next and final book.

I thoroughly enjoyed Through The Gloaming and my only real complaint is that these books just aren't long enough, I want more of this world and for everything to take longer so I can still be on this journey instead of only having one book left to read!

I gave this book 5 stars.

The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas - Review

I am horribly behind on my reviews of buddy reads! F and myself finished The Count Of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas back in September and we're on our third book since then. So here I am being good and catching up. I'll have reviews for The Essential Kafka and Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea in the next few days. 

The Count Of Monte Cristo 

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of the great thrillers of all time. In 1853 William Thackeray wrote to a friend: 'began to read Monte Cristo at six one morning and never stopped till eleven at night.'. Falsely accused of treason, the young sailor Edmund Dantes is arrested on his wedding day and imprisoned in the island fortress of the Chateau d'If. After staging a dramatic escape, he sets out to discover the fabulous treasure of Monte Cristo and catch up with his enemies. A novel of enormous tension and excitement, Monte Cristo is also a tale of obsession and revenge. Believing himself to be an 'Angel of Providence', Dantes pursues his vengeance to the bitter end, only then realizing that he himself is a victim of fate. 

My Review

The Count Of Monte Cristo has to be one of the biggest surprises for me this year. I really had doubts about reading it as I didn't really know much about it and it is quite a chunky book; but I absolutely fell in love with this book! 

Edmund Dantes is easily one of my new all time favourite characters. And I now have two all time favourite classics. I was considering if The Count Of Monte Cristo had knocked Crime And Punishment off its perch, but no I think they are both equal. 

I thought the writing was really wonderful and so easy to read. I loved the characters, both the good and the bad and I thought the story was so well thought out and just so very enjoyable. Apparently I like a good revenge story! If I ever need to get revenge on someone I hope I can do it with as much cunning, class and flair as the Count Of Monte Cristo! 

I can now see how this is a lot of peoples all time favourite classic as it is so much more accessible than a lot of other classics due to the language used and the stories aren't always relatable in modern times. Revenge however is understood through the ages. 

Overall a really excellent book, one I'm so glad that we picked up as buddy readers as I may have missed out on this if not. I really look forward to picking this up again in the future, so I can re read Dantes adventures. 

I gave this book 5 stars. 

An Auchenvale Christmas by Emily Anne Brandon - Review

I don't normally read Christmas themed books, but last year I made my first attempt as fitting in a Christmas novel to join in with the holiday reading festivities. It was an unmitigated disaster and my choice did not work out for me at all. I was unsure as to whether I was going to venture back into the Christmas literature world again this year, but I got the chance to read An Auchenvale Christmas by Emily Anne Brandon and the synopsis sounded great so I jumped right back in and I'm glad that I did. 

An Auchenvale Christmas

What would you do if you had to spend an entire weekend with your picture perfect family in a tiny Scottish village at Christmastime? What if your parents were so disappointed in your life choices that they thought you should go to therapy? What if your three successful sisters were all married to rich, handsome men? How do you admit that your thirty-something life looks more like a twenty-something life? How do you explain the humiliating chaos of crappy jobs, never-ending singledom and a permanent lack of cash flow? 

You don’t. You lie. 

The Fitzgeralds come together every year for the weekend before Christmas. It’s tradition. But Robyn can’t face a whole weekend of disappointing everyone yet again, so when a timely opportunity presents itself, she runs with it. She runs all the way to her childhood home with it. 

A perfect Winter novella to curl up in front of the fire with. 

My Review

Robyn is the main character in An Auchenvale Christmas and she is a perfectly average person, working perfectly average jobs and enjoying her girly nights out with her best friend. All of this isn't good enough for her family though who are all high fliers and so she is dreading the weekend before Christmas and the annual trip home. I found Robyn really relatable and I enjoyed listening to (reading) her Scottish brogue and the Scottish words that she uses.  

Robyn meets Jack her local bar tender who offers to help her out and pretend to be her boyfriend to make her trip home a little more bearable. Jack is an absolutely wonderful leading man and is really the perfect guy. He helps a girl out in need and loves her for what and who she is, not needing anything more than that. He's also hot and intelligent so he really is the whole package! 

Robyn and Jack make the trip to Auchenvale which I could picture vividly thanks to the authors fantastic descriptions. I really could feel the cold of the snow and see the beautiful countryside, and they brace themselves for a weekend with Robyn's family. Nothing is as it seems though and everyone has their own problems, some people are just better at hiding it than others. 

I really enjoyed this book and I loved that there was a happy ending. There were also some laugh out loud funny moments which really added to my love of the book. I read an Auchenvale Christmas in one sitting as it was so much fun and so easy to read. It definitely made me feel Christmassy and I'm extremely happy that I read it. This book has renewed my interest in trying out Christmas books. 

I gave this book 5 Stars.  

Getting To Know... Jason Hershey

Today I welcome author Jason Hershey to my Getting To Know... feature. Jason is the author of To Die To Live. 

Your novel To Die To Live is a YA story, what is it that draws you to this genre? 

The ability to introduce your characters to situations that are new to them. You can put them in places that you were in as a teenager and allow them to play it out differently than you did. It also allows you to grow your character and  not make some of the same mistakes you did.

When you're writing do you have a set routine or schedule that you like to follow? 

Unfortunately, with work and my kids and family, finding scheduled time to write is hard. I basically write whenever I have a few free moments. I did set up a writing nook at work that allowed me to do some writing on my lunch break. It's hard, but somehow, I make it work.

Have you always known that you wanted to be an author? 

No. I have always written, usually poems and stuff, but I've been busy with my career as a teacher to focus on writing. This summer, I just woke up one morning and said I wanted to start living my life and do things I've always thought about, but always had an excuse for why I didn't do it. This book is a product of the "new" me.

On top of being an author you are a teacher, do things that you have experienced while teaching inspire you in your writing? 

Inspiration from teaching oddly mirrors my own upbringing. I work in the same type of inner city schools that I attended and lived in while I was younger. I get to see the hardship and the pain that some of my students come from and it's heartbreaking. I also get to see the other side of it, the parents doing everything they can to give their kids more. I also see the kids that strive to do better than their parents. That's something I think every parent should want, their kids to out succeed them. This story is definitely rooted in that struggle to do better and to find what you are truly meant to be in life.

When you're not writing what would we find you doing?

Outside of teaching and writing, I love to spend time with my family. I am a movie buff, so we usually have family movie night. I've also started coaching a travel soccer team, which takes a lot of time, but is a nice break for me and fun to get out and be athletic again. So between teaching, writing, family and soccer, I usually don't have much more time to do anything but sleep.

Do you have a favourite character that you have written so far?

I love Theo from my book. It is fun to live through his eyes. Some of him is based on myself growing up, friends that I grew up with and some is just a product of my imagination. I love that Theo is evolving into a more rounded individual in the second book that I'm working on. It follows him during his first year of college. He will experience some more heartbreak, and we'll see his maturity in how he handles it. 

What is your favourite thing about being an author?

I've never called myself an author. I consider myself a story teller. I love telling stories. The ability to get your audience to follow you and become engaged in the story is awesome. If I can create characters that people relate to and identify with, then you can bring them on this journey that will, in my case, leave them feeling optimistic for the future.

Do you have a favourite author?

I love Lois Lowry and Harper Lee. They wrote three of my favourite YA books of all time that I will still read to this day. "To Kill A Mockingbird", "The Giver" and "Count The Stars" are books that are totally different in theme but take the reader on this journey that is totally believable. That is something I hope to aspire to in the future.

If you could give younger you any advice about your writing journey, what would it be?

To start writing earlier, not to take a multi year break and to pursue this will all the hope and optimism that I have now. If I had started 15 years ago, I'd be an old pro now and I would be able to enjoy this more, not so focused on learning all the nuances and intricacies of the game.

To Die To Live has only recently come out, but what can we look forward to next from you?

I am working on a continuation of this book, tentatively entitled "The Chosen Path" that will follow Theo in college as he deals with more hope and heartbreak and continues to grow. I also have a children's book series that I'm almost done with called "Larry the Hippo" that is based on stories I tell to my young kids.

Thank you so much to Jason for taking the time out of his super busy schedule to answer my questions! 

To Connect With Jason Hershey

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/jasonhersheywriter/?fref=ts

Twitter - @therealjhershey

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Jason-Hershey/e/B01M3UFK3R

To Die To Live

Thelonious "Theo" Mitchell is a down on his luck teenager, wandering aimlessly through life with no desire or focus. When tragedy strikes, he is taken in by his aunt and uncle. Thrown into a new school with unfamiliar surroundings, he befriends the class "troublemaker". After yet another tragedy, will Theo fall victim to life, or use the tragedy as a spark and motivation to embrace all that life has to offer?