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So I kinda suck at Read-a-thons

 Monday 13 August 2012

Good evening all you lovely people, it's a tad embarrassing coming back here after supposedly starting a readathon last Monday and realising that I just, sort of stopped by Thursday. While I did get some reading done that day (Started on the Repossession by Sam Hawksmoor) events conspired against me and I just didn't get round to updating the blog that day. Then the weekend arrived along with that wonderfully lovely specimen of awesomeness (Also known as my boyfriend, Mark :D) and all blogging went out the window and was replaced by Doctor Who marathons and copious amounts of Cricket (Alas not the Bell variety).

Hilariously I did get a bit more of the Repossession read on Saturday morning while I was volunteering at my local library. I've been helping with the Summer Reading Challenge for les enfants and there was quite a hefty lull so one of the librarians asked if I wanted a magazine to look through, I said thanks but I've got it covered and whipped the book out of my handbag. I'd got it with me just in case although I felt very odd about bringing my own book to a freaking library but eventually got over the weirdness and zoned out. Thankfully there were not many other kids during the two hours I was there.

So my Readathon was somewhat curtailed but it was really great to be able to sit and actually read since July was a very low yield reading month. I think I blitzed about 5 6 books in the first week of August which already has equalled July so I'm hoping to get through a fair bit more before we hit September (although srsly what the frack? I'm gonna be 22 around the start of October and that's getting scarily close!).

The final tally for my Readathon was as follows;
Frostfire by Zoe Marriott - 45 pgs. 4 stars
Slated by Teri Terry - 327 pgs. 5 stars
How to Marry a Marquis by Julia Quinn - 375 pgs. 4 stars
Fat Cat by Robin Brande - 327 pgs. 4.5 stars

I think it is rather fabulous that I managed to read four completely different genres of books that almost perfectly sums up the majority of my book collection; Fantasy, Dystopia, Historical and Contemporary. Yea I do have a lot of "classics" but seriously when have I last read a good chunk of those?

I do actually want to write reviews for all the books I've read so far this month (including at least one from the end of last month) so maybe I shall get uber productive and post a review a day for a week or more sensibly post two a week so they last me a bit longer since who knows when I might write another?!

Well this has been a rather lengthy ramble about my inability to finish another project (C'est la vie non?)
But I shall now bid thee adieu.

Yours wistfully
LadyV

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Summer Wrap-Up Read-a-thon Days 2 & 3 Update

 Thursday 9 August 2012

The Summer Wrap Up Read-A-Thon is hosted by Jennifer at Some Like It Paranormal and Jude at In Between.

So update time! I didn't actually switch on my computer all day yesterday so I wasn't able to post my update for Tuesday and since I only really read in the wee hours of Wednesday morning it would have been a fairly tiddly update.

What I'm Reading: Currently on the Time Traveller's Guide to Elizabethan England by Ian Mortimer. Started it yesterday but not sure if I'll read more today.
What I've Already Read:

 Number of Pages read today: 0 (as of 1pm)
Total number of Pages Read: 1209
Total books read: 4
Non-Reading Activity: Today I've got to go be a helpful and supportive sister as my lil' sis is going to take her Driving Theory test this afternoon *crosses everything* but I will get some time to read in the car while I wait. Then later it's ironing at Gran's time again - possible chance for reading again

I will update things more later on but I have to dash and get ready to actually go out since I've been idling far too long. Plus I need to eat something for lunch!

Yours Leisurely,
LadyV

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Summer Wrap-up Read-a-thon Day 1

 Monday 6 August 2012

The Summer Wrap Up Read-A-Thon is hosted by Jennifer at Some Like It Paranormal and Jude at In Between.

Well since I did actually sign up to do this read-a-thon I had better get a post up for it! Only really starting today since I was away all weekend and only got home earlier this morning.

What I'm Reading: Just finished Slated by Teri Terry.
Already Read: Frostfire by Zoe Marriott
Number of Pages read today: 485
Total Pages Read: 485
Total Books Read: 2
Non-reading Activity: Got some tedious errands to run shortly so I'm going to have to take a break from trying to read. Will also acquire some noms before my stomach starts roaring at me. 
Thoughts on Read-a-thon thus far: It's been a long time since I did any kind of serisous reading stint so I don't quite know how I'm going to do. I don't think I'll be able to quite manage a book a day since I'm going to get pressganged into doing productive things on numerous occasions methinks. It's sort of a cheat that I've already finished one book since I read the majority of it on the train journey to and from London on Saturday when my boyfriend and I went with the intent to maybe see some of the Olympics. We ended up eating at Pieminister for lunch and Paul Rhodes for dessert and then staggering through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park (getting ripped off for merely sitting on some deckchairs for a break along the way) before tripping into Foyles *heheBOOKS* and then back on the train home. Very little olympics seen but an awesome day nevertheless.

Update 9:30pm
Holy Shit I've just finished Slated and *flails* My God that is one *hell* of a book! You would have had to have been there to understand the noise that I made when I reached the last page and realised there wasn't anymore to read. Outraged indignation is probably the only description I can give it. I'm now going to have to sit glaze-eyed marvelling over this fantastic and slightly terrifying book and also bemoaning how long it will be until the sequel comes out. Teri Terry I salute your awesomeness *doffs hat*

Leave me to wallow into my mug of tea.... *sniffs*

Yours Busily
LadyV

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July Reading Update

A good morning to ye fine folk! I know it's been a little quiet on the blog front for the past week or two but never fear I've not disappeared again! It's just been a much busier month than any other so far this year for very excellent reasons and I've done very little reading since I've basically not been at home most weekends :D

While the whole job front is still a bit uncertain I gotta say that for the first time in 18 months I'm too happy to give a flying fuck. Things will all sort themselves out eventually.

Anyways this is a now rather belated look back at what I've read in July and for the most part it is a awfully tiddly amount due to aforementioned reasons.

Books Read in July
104. Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers 6/7/2012 PM 4 Stars
105. Unrest by Michelle Harrison 19/7/2012 PM 4 Stars
106. The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss 20/7/2012 AM 4.5 Stars
107. A Gentleman of Fortune by Anna Dean 23/7/2012 AM 4 Stars
108. Mr Cavendish. I Presume? by Julia Quinn 27/7/2012 AM <4 b="b" stars="stars">
109. The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey by Trenton Lee Stewart 29/7/2012 PM 4 Stars

Wow a whole month without a single re-read! (Wait that's a lie I re-read Seraphina for a second time) but still it's impressive! I've discovered my new fluffy book love - Julia Quinn novels! I've found myself very enamored with stories set in Regency England of late and now with the finding of Miss Julia and her wonderfully funny characters and occasional sauciness I am determined to get my grubby mitts on more of her books! Add in the rather delightful Anna Dean books which are Regency murder mysteries where the main character is a bit like Miss Marple with a love of deduction and I have all the Austen-esque fun I could want!

But the Book of the Month has to be The Name of the Wind, an immensely fabulous fantasy novel with the most compelling story that ends so lacksidaisily that it made me flail and want to go out and devour Wise Man's Fear straight away just so I could know what Kvothe was up to next. It still awes me that this was Patrick Rothfuss' debut novel, dude can fecking *write*!

Now to continue with what I'm supposed to be doing (job-hunting) and hopefully later I will get to finish what I'm currently reading - Frostfire by the fabulous Zoe Marriott - and actually start joining in properly with the Summer Wrap-up Readathon that I'm supposedly taking part in this week. *snort*

Procrastinationally Yours,
LadyV

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Book Review - Seraphina

 Monday 16 July 2012

So here we go! Let me know what you think to the review.

Review 
Title: Seraphina
Author: Rachel Hartman
Genre: YA, High Fantasy, Dragons
Source: ARC provided to me by JessHeartsBooks and to her by the folk at Doubleday
Publication Date: 19th July 2012 (UK), 10th July 2012 (US)

Synopsis: The kingdom of Goredd is populated by humans and by dragons who fold themselves into a human form. Though they live alongside each other, the peace between them is uneasy.

But when a member of the royal family is murdered, and the crime appears to have been committed by a dragon the peace and treaty between both worlds is seriously threatened . . .

Into this comes Seraphina, a gifted musician who joins the royal court as the assistant to the court composer. She is soon drawn into the murder investigation and, as she uncovers hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace in Goredd for good, finds herself caught desperately in the middle of the tension.

For Seraphina hides a secret - the secret behind her musical gift - and if she is found out, her life is in serious danger . . . (taken from the Amazon.co.uk page).

My Thoughts
When Jess told me about this book that she'd received which was a high fantasy debut with dragons in it I was pretty intrigued. When she mentioned that Tamora Pierce (my literary idol and creator of over half the female characters I would kill to be) had blurbed this book and raved over it then I was all "sign me up to read it stat!" So after Jess had to have a parting of ways with the book due to to personal differences I offered to give it a home and review it as an additional thank-you.

I have to admit to reading it twice *ahem three times*. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm a notorious re-reader but the books that get read more than once in the same year are the ones that you know are fantastic and are to be foisted upon anyone who you think will like them. (I'm not going to press-gang reluctants but if you look even slightly interested you *are* going to find yourself reading this book).

With Seraphina you are plunged into the prologue which introduces us to two of the main characters and a whole host of questions that get answered as the book progresses. In just three pages you are drawn to the infant Seraphina and immersed in a rich world that promises to become exponentially more detailed and fascinating with each turn of the page.

 Rachel Hartman has done a fantastic job of creating the world in this book; it's vast and has several layers of complexity. There's a well-developed society with religion, politics (heck religious politics), and such a depth of history as you can believe that this world has been living in a somewhat shaky peace with the dragon population for the last fourty years.

And that's another fantabulous element of this book; the dragons. The concept of dragons which can take human form is brilliant and it's shown off so well in the book with characters like Eskar and Basind who although they may look the same as everyone else think so differently and view the world in such an alien way that it's almost chilling how they consider humans. Also what I found fascinating was the detail put into the Dragon's society and their philosophy of Ard and keeping all emotions out of their lives. It's been a long time since I've read a fantasy book with that level of world development.

My favourite thing about Seraphina was the lady herself. As a character she is flawed in that beautifully human way but she's so relatable and likeable that you can't help but want to cuddle her when she's having a grumpy or sad moment. You feel along with her when she fights to keep her secrets and emotions in check and it makes your heart soar when she finds out that she's not quite as alone in her plight as she thought. She's also funny and snarky and made me chuckle on various occasions throughout the book. Seraphina is kind of girl I would love to be friends with; she's loyal and would literally chuck herself into danger for those she cares about.

The rest of the characters are a fabulously vibrant bunch of folk; with Orma's oddities, Glisselda's bubbliness and Lucian's Kiggs-ness they all come alive in the book and any author that can make me care a whole damn lot of a group of fictional characters is definitely on the way to becoming favourite of mine.

Overall the book is a cracking debut, with some beautiful writing, a fantastic cast of characters, and a compelling story that ends neatly enough that you're not left dangling off a cliff-hanger but with just-enough left undone to have you slavering for a sequel (and I am already getting antsy wanting to know what's going to happen!). So if you want a fantasy read that can give you a bit of everything with dragons to boot then get your hands on a copy of Seraphina this summer.

My Rating: 4.5 out 5 Stars!

Also just as a final note I got to admit that I prefer the US cover of Seraphina, it's very similar to the Temeraire books by Naomi Novik and the line drawings are vair cool. I will probably buy a finished copy of the US edition next month when I'm in Florida.

So there you have it! My first written review in months and months! I hope it's not entirely useless and let me know what you guys think!

Speak to y'all soon
LadyV

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Books Read and Acquired - Blog the First!

 Saturday 14 July 2012

Good afternoon my chickies! Just to prove that I wasn't having a one-day burst of blogenergy I have decided that it's about time that my Youtube Channel reconnected with my blog. During my long blog absence I was still making vlogs over on Youtube, there I started doing a little thing I called "Books Read and Acquired" where on a Saturday I would plonk myself in front of my webcam and witter about all the books I'd bought/borrowed/been given and also what I'd read over the past week. My own little one-woman meme.

Up to now I've done 12 of these vlogs (occasional gaps where I've not made a video for a while) and today I thought beforehand "I should totally post this on the blog as well" and here I am. I gotta warn you these videos are usually pretty lengthy (I can talk a *lot* when I put my mind to it), so if you can make it through the whole thing then the congratulatory cookies are on the table for you *grins*. Do excuse thumbnail pouty face.

 
Books Read
The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (Re-Read)
The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson
The Second Book of General Ignorance by Johns Lloyd & Mitchinson
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers
*Also Re-read* Seraphina by Rachel Hartman - REVIEW COMING SOON!!

Books Acquired
The Blue Girl by Charles de Lint (From the BHF)
A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett (From awesome Antique shop in Alfreton)
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (From the Works)
The Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo (From the Works)
*Not Mentioned* The Second Book of General Ignorance (Also bought in the Works)
Unrest by Michelle Harrison (From Waterstones)
Notes from a Small Island by Bill Bryson (From Waterstones)
Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers (From Coventry Waterstones)
Slated by Teri Terry (From Cov Waterstones)
Saving June by Hannah Harrington (From Cov Waterstones)
Revived by Cat Patrick (From Cov WHSmiths)
Myth & Magic: The artwork of John Howe by John Howe (From The Works in Derby)
The Illustrated Jane Austen Library by Jane Austen (From the Works in Derby BLESS YOU) 

So there yous go! If you want to catch yourselves up on the previous vlogs then please feel free to head on over to the Tube of You-ness and watch the playlist I will shortly be creating (link).

And now I shall be dashing off to go do a prodigious amount of ironing (which seems to be almost my occupation these days). Keep your eyebulbs peeled for the Review coming later this week. I may also post any vlog reviews I did during my hiatus.

Domestically Yours
LadyV

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A Reintroduction of Sorts

 Monday 9 July 2012

So this is rather unexpected...
I had thought that my blogging days were over but following a conversation with a very lovely person (who knows exactly who he is :D) earlier today I find myself logging back onto blogger (which is looking very snazzy I must say) and stretching those writing muscles to write you folks something you've not seen from me in many, many moons. A review *lays out crash mats for the overly shocked*.

Now it's a review which I'm owing and should have probably written about three months ago since I read the book in question back in April (hell, I re-read the book in June as well) but as the book is only due to be released this month I suppose the delay is a little excusable. Although only a little.

So you shall soon have the very long awaited event of an actual post of substance from me and I hope it's not a last-ditch attempt too late. I'm sorry life kidnapped me for a while there and I do hope to get back into this ol' blogging lark one baby-step at a time.

I am rather excitedly
Yours
LadyV

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