The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted at Caffeinated Book Reviewer, it's a chance to post a recap on the past week, show the books we have received and share what we plan for the coming week. Since we would usually do a haul on a Sunday, but this week's one was looking a little brief, we thought we'd try this out instead.
Last Week on the Blog:
- July Wrap Up and August TBR
- 7 Deadly Sins Tag
- Top Ten Fairy Tale Retellings
- Tuesday Intros
- Top 5 Wednesday: Favourite Maps
- WWW Wednesday
- Review: Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda
- Friday Reads and Friday 56
- Book Colours
- Chris Pratt Book Tag
Books We Got This Week:
In the spirit of the Top Ten Tuesday for this week - we got Spelled by Betsy Schow:
Fairy Tale Survival Rule No 32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your prince charming to save the day.
Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its perks - like Glenda Original ball gowns and Hans Christian Louboutin heels. But a forced marriage to the charming brooding prince Kato is so not what Dorthea had in mind for her enchanted future. Talk about an unhappily ever after. Trying to fix her prince problem by wishing on a (cursed) star royally backfires, leaving the kingdom in chaos and her parents stuck in some place called "Kansas". Now it's up to Dorthea and her pixed off prince to find the mysterious Wizard of Oz and undo the curse...before it releases the wickedest witch of all and spells The End for the world of Story.
Clare: This just sounds so amazing. The cover is gorgeous, we have what sounds like a kick-ass princess and a retelling of the Wizard of Oz. There is nothing not to love here.
Ann: I am really, really excited to read Spelled. Also, the cover is so pretty and it is a floppy book (I have an addiction to floppy books).
Ann: I am really, really excited to read Spelled. Also, the cover is so pretty and it is a floppy book (I have an addiction to floppy books).
Clare: I got this as an e-book (it's free on Amazon UK at the moment - not sure about elsewhere). I always seem to take forever to get around to kindle books - maybe that should be my September TBR thing - but I really liked the premise of this one.
Jason Vanderholt, Hollywood's hottest actor, falls head over heels for everygirl, Chloe Winters, who hasn't got around to watching most of his movies. The last thing Chloe needs is public attention. It brings back dangers from the past that she's worked her whole life to escape.
London, 1890. Mina Murray, the rosy-cheeked, quintessentially pure Victorian heroine, becomes Count Dracula's object of desire. To preserve her chastity, five male "defenders" rush in to rescue her from the vampire's evil clutches. This is the version of the story we've been told. But now, from Mina's own pen, we discover that the story is vastly different when told from the female point of view.
Clare: This sounds like it could either be brilliant and atmospheric, or horribly cheesy.
London, 1890. Mina Murray, the rosy-cheeked, quintessentially pure Victorian heroine, becomes Count Dracula's object of desire. To preserve her chastity, five male "defenders" rush in to rescue her from the vampire's evil clutches. This is the version of the story we've been told. But now, from Mina's own pen, we discover that the story is vastly different when told from the female point of view.
Clare: This sounds like it could either be brilliant and atmospheric, or horribly cheesy.
Reading Update:
This week we read the following:
Ann:
The Isle of the Lost: 5 stars. I loved this, it was a really good book.
The Pledge and The Essence: 3.5 stars. Although The Pledge had a bit of a rushed ending I enjoyed both the Pledge and the Essence in the end.
The Isle of the Lost: 5 stars. I loved this, it was a really good book.
The Pledge and The Essence: 3.5 stars. Although The Pledge had a bit of a rushed ending I enjoyed both the Pledge and the Essence in the end.
Clare:
Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones: 4 stars. The characters were great and the plot was definitely exciting, it felt like there was something missing but that might just be because I am not sure I was in the right mood for this one. I am looking forward to reading the sequel.
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black: 3.5 stars. I hear a lot of people raving about this book and I get why. It was gripping and dark. But I didn't personally connect with the characters. Definitely recommend for vampire fans though (especially those who can get annoyed with the sparkly vampire type).
Unremembered by Jessica Brody: 3 stars. Oh science fiction. The plots always sound so interesting and then the science part happens and my attention wanders. There was a lot going on in this which kept me interested but, although it wasn't insta-love, it felt like it.
Third Girl by Agatha Christie: 3 stars. It's age definitely shows. But the mystery was engaging and it was funny in places.
The Captain's Daughter by Leah Fleming: 3 stars. This would definitely win the prize for Most Depressing Book Read This Year. And I read a lot of sad books. I loved the descriptions, particularly at the beginning. But by the end it was starting to drag a little - and I had more or less decided none of the characters were ever going to be happy.
Good Behaviour by Molly Keane: 2 stars. I can understand why this is described as "wicked comedy" but I just didn't find it to be so for me. I have a few more of her books, they came in a set, so I will keep them and try again with her but I am not optimistic.
The Girl With the Painted Face by Gabrielle Kimm: 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was fairly easy to solve but since that didn't detract too much from the excitement and intrigue of the plot I didn't mind so much. The characters were great, Gabrielle Kimm always write historical fiction that I love.
Good Behaviour by Molly Keane: 2 stars. I can understand why this is described as "wicked comedy" but I just didn't find it to be so for me. I have a few more of her books, they came in a set, so I will keep them and try again with her but I am not optimistic.
The Girl With the Painted Face by Gabrielle Kimm: 4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. The mystery was fairly easy to solve but since that didn't detract too much from the excitement and intrigue of the plot I didn't mind so much. The characters were great, Gabrielle Kimm always write historical fiction that I love.
Classics Update:
As we have mentioned in previous posts we are both trying to read one Classic book per month. Ann's read for August is Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery and mine is Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne.
Ann: I had aimed to be on page 106 but I am actually only on page 78 because I am a very slow reader.
Clare: I am currently 75 pages through and really enjoying it, there was a bit of a slow start but it's now getting interesting.
Next Week:
- 90's Movie Book Tag
- Top Ten Author's We've Read the Most Books From
- Tuesday Intros
- Top 5 Required Reading
- WWW Wednesday
- Review: The Falconer by Elizabeth May
- Friday Reads and Friday 56
- Review: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
I like dark and non-sparkly vampires ^^ I remember reading Third girl and liking it, my least favorite by Agatha Christie was They came to Bagdad. I loved the one she wrote as Mary Westmacott, Absent in spring, priceless ! Enjoy your new books, girls :)
ReplyDeleteI definitely prefer the non sparkly kind! I shall have to check out Absent in Spring. Thanks for the recommendation!
DeleteI recently listened to Anne of Green Gables on audio and loved it all over again. I can imagine that reading it would be much slower progress though. Hope you both enjoy your new books! Have a great week!
ReplyDeleteSP & STS
Sandy @ Somewhere Only We Know
yeah I am really enjoying Anne of Green Gables but it is really slow progress as I don't normally read classic books but it is well worth reading, such a great book.
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