Book Review | Sally Hanan | Joy In A Box And Other Stories

Joy in a Box: and other stories

I won this book in a giveaway. The giveaway was listed on goodreads. The giveaway was listed by the publisher. 

Author: Sally Hanan

Title: Joy In A Box And Other Stories

Genre: Short Stories, Women Writers, Fiction

Pages: 136

Price: £5.57

Started: 18th October 2016

Finished: 19th October 2016

Synopsis: A blind girl has a gift; A father's heart breaks; A young boy in Africa might die; The step-children want her dead husband's money ... Read these short snippets of fiction and be prepared to gasp, giggle and groan. Sally Hanan's insight into the human heart brings depth and richness to her stories, many of them written in a poetic style of prose that flows and gurgles like a country creek. 

Review: Firstly, I would like to say that I am grateful that I won this book in a goodreads giveaway. If I had not seen this book up for giveaway on goodreads then I would not have known that this book existed and if I had not won then I most likely would not have bought this book. I do not normally read short stories but this book kept calling out to me from my shelves. This book is a collection of short stories which I went into thinking that I would not enjoy them but it turns out that I was pleasantly surprised when I found that I enjoyed them. I found it difficult to put this book down and stop reading it. I finished this book within a day which is an achievement for me as I find it hard to focus on one thing for an extended period of time. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fiction and short stories. As I won this book I will be keeping it as a part of my book collection forever. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review | Ransom Riggs | Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Author: Ransom Riggs

Title: Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children

Genre: Fantasy, Supernatural, Adventure, Young Adult, Teen, Historical, Science Fiction, Magic, Urban Fantasy
Series: Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children

Pages: 382

Price: £6.29

Started: 10th October 2016

Finished: 17th October 2016

Synopsis: A mysterious Island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of curious photographs. It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience. As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen year old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's home for peculiar children. As Jacob explores its bedrooms and hallways, it becomes clear that Miss Peregrine's children were more than just peculiar. They may have been dangerous. They may have been quarantined on a deserted island for good reason. And somehow - impossible though it seems - they may still be alive. 

Review: I bought this book at a second hand stall. I plan to buy this book boxset brand new in the near future and then donate this used book back to the stall so that someone else can experience the works of Ransom Riggs. This is a truly interesting read and the photographs definitely add to the intrigue and mystery of the story. I found myself completely lost between the pages for hours at a time. There is something about the way that this book is written that makes it feel as though you are actually watching the lives of the characters play out; It makes you feel as if you are following the characters and experiencing what they think and feel. When lost in this book it did not feel that I was reading at all but that I had been transported to the place and time that the book was set. After reading this book I am very excited to own the full trilogy and the companion book, tales of the peculiar. When I own all the books I can read them back to back and remain in their world to live out the rest of the story alongside the peculiar children and to see if Jacob ever returns to his family. I would highly recommend this book (and most likely the rest of the trilogy) to anyone with an interest in urban fantasy and supernatural novels. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review | Hassan El-Tayyab | Composing Temple Sunrise

Composing Temple Sunrise: Overcoming Writer's block at Burning Man

I received this book for free from publishers. This book was brought to my attention through a contact form on my blog. This book was sent to me in exchange for an honest review. 

Author: Hassan El-Tayyab

Title: Composing Temple Sunrise

Genre: Memoir, Biography, Autobiography, Music, Art, Festival, Relationships

Pages: 202

Price: £6.84

Started: 27th August 2016

Finished: 2nd September 2016

Synopsis: This is a memoir by musician Hassan El-Tayyab and recounts his trip across the US looking for that elusive muse. He arrives in Berkeley and hooks up with a group creating a metal sculpture called Fishbug. They go to Burning Man in the Nevada dessert and here he writes the musical piece Temple Sunrise. Hassan is a musician singer/songwriter with his group America Nomad. This is a book of travel, personal exploration, community, and that elusive finding of the creative source. A beautiful song comes of this journey as well as a beautiful, insightful book. Hassan El-Tayyab is an award-winning singer/songwriter, author, teacher, and cultural activist currently residing in San Francisco, California. His critically-acclaimed Americana act American Nomad performs regularly at festivals and venues up and down the West Coast and beyond. In addition to performing Hassan is also a music educator, having taught songwriting and guitar classes for the Freight and Salvage and The East Bay Center for the Performing Arts. Hassan has also been a guest lecturer on song writing at the University of California, Berkeley.

Review: I would like to thank the publisher for sending me a copy of this book. When I received this book I was unsure whether I would like this book or not as I mostly read fiction and fantasy books. When buying or reading books I normally do not opt for memoirs so this book didn't jump out as something I would be gripped by. However, when I started reading this book I found that the adventures of the writer pulled me in and then I just could not break away from the pages. The author excellently portrayed his emotions in relation to the events that he wrote about in this book. When reading about the events he experienced and took part in I could almost feel exactly what he was feeling at these times or maybe what he was feeling when looking back on these memories. This was an excellent read and I am glad that I accepted this book for review. I would highly recommend this book to anyone, whether they are a reader of fiction or enjoy auto-biographies/memoirs. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review | Robert Galbraith | The Cuckoo's Calling

The Cuckoo's Calling (Cormoran Strike)

Author: Robert Galbraith

Title: The Cuckoo's Calling

Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Crime, Thriller, Adult, Mystery Thriller, Contemporary, Detective, Adult Fiction, European Literature, British Literature
Series: Cormoran Strike

Pages: 449

Price: £6.29

Started: 25th September 2016

Finished: 10th October 2016

Synopsis: When a troubled model falls to her death from a snow covered Mayfair balcony, it is assumed suicide. However, her brother has his doubts and calls in private investigator Cormoran Strike to look into the case. Strike is a war veteran - wounded physically and psychologically - and his life is in disarray. The case gives him a financial lifeline, but it comes at a personal cost: the more he delves into the young model's complex world, the darker things get and the closer he gets to terrible danger ...

Review: After buying this book I was truly excited to get around to reading this book. This book did not disappoint; I truly enjoyed this book and will definitely be investing in the rest of the series as well as other books released under the pen name Robert Galbraith. This book was enthralling from start to finish and I found it impossible to stop reading and put this book down. I found myself lost in the pages for hours at a time. I would highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in crime fiction and mystery novels. I am certain that this book will grip anybody's attention as it did mine. This book will have a permanent place on my bookshelves. This book has made me want to invest in more crime detective novels by other authors. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Book Review | Simon Laffy | Seed Of Satan

Seed of Satan

This book was sent to me for free. I was sent this book from the publishers. I was sent this book in exchange for an honest review. 

Author: Simon Laffy

Title: Seed Of Satan

Genre: Historical Fiction, History, Fiction, War

Release Date: 1st October 2016

Pages: 286

Price: £4.99 (Kindle Edition)

Started: 11th September 2016

Finished: 19th September 2016

Synopsis: Some things should not be messed around with. Somewhere, fools are playing with fire. Sometimes, a slight mistake can tip the balance. Someone is about to kill us all. Deep in the heart of the Kaiser's reich, scientists work desperately to produce a form of germ warfare that could provide the elusive breakthrough on the western front, thereby bringing ultimate victory to the central powers. One young englishman is willing to risk his all to try and prevent them from succeeding.

Review: I would like to thank the publisher for sending me and my sister a copy of this book to review (my sister's review will be up at a later date). This was an excellent read and it was worth every second I spent with my head buried in this book. This is a book that I could read many times over and still enjoy it as much as the first time. At the start of the book the plot went by a little slowly so I was worried about getting into it fully but the more I read the better the plot became. Overall, I am glad that I stuck with the book or else I would have regretted not finishing such an amazing book. If I had given up at the start I would not have known how good this book was and my review would have been incomplete as well as incorrect. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and war related books. After reading this story I would definitely read more books by Simon Laffy. In my opinion this a worthy investment and my collection is better off for having this book as a part of it. 

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars