Rivers of London | Review

Title: Rivers of London

Author: Ben Aaronovitch

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 18 Jun 18 – 23 Jun 18

Publication date: 10 January 2011

Publisher: Gollancz

Genre(s): Detective; Murder Mystery; Fantasy

Description:

My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (and as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit – we do paperwork so real coppers don’t have to – and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England.

Now I’m a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated: nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden … and there’s something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.

The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it’s falling to me to bring order out of chaos – or die trying.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue | Review

Title: The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

Author: Mackenzi Lee

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 16 Apr 18 – 21 Apr 18

Publication date: 10 August 2017

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, YA

Description:

A young bisexual British lord embarks on an unforgettable Grand Tour of Europe with his best friend/secret crush. An 18th-century romantic adventure for the modern age written by This Monstrous Thing author Mackenzi Lee—Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda meets the 1700s.

Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

So Monty vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Witty, dazzling, and intriguing at every turn, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue is an irresistible romp that explores the undeniably fine lines between friendship and love.

June TBR

At the end of June, we’re half way through the year. Yes, that’s right, we’re nearly halfway done with 2018 which is frankly quite scary. Don’t get me wrong I’ve been excited about the second half of this year for a long time and I am excited for it to come, but it’s kind of scary that it’s here already. I haven’t read nearly as many books this year at this point as I had last year, and even though I know it’s not a competition, I know I haven’t been reading much lately and that is irritating me. I do feel like things are getting better with reading, it’s all about the right book at the right time. 

The Watchmaker of Filigree Street | Review

Title: Watchmaker of Filigree Street

Author: Natasha Pulley

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 02 Apr 18 – 13 Apr 18

Publication date: 02 July 2015

Publisher: Bloomsbury Circus

Genre(s): Historical Fiction, Fantasy

Description:

In 1883, Thaniel Steepleton returns to his tiny flat to find a gold pocketwatch on his pillow. But he has worse fears than generous burglars; he is a telegraphist at the Home Office, which has just received a threat for what could be the largest-scale Fenian bombing in history.

When the watch saves Thaniel’s life in a blast that destroys Scotland Yard, he goes in search of its maker, Keita Mori – a kind, lonely immigrant who sweeps him into a new world of clockwork and music. Although Mori seems harmless at first, a chain of unexpected slips soon proves that he must be hiding something.

Meanwhile, Grace Carrow is sneaking into an Oxford library dressed as a man. A theoretical physicist, she is desperate to prove the existence of the luminiferous ether before her mother can force her to marry.

As the lives of these three characters become entwined, events spiral out of control until Thaniel is torn between loyalties, futures and opposing geniuses.

Utterly beguiling, The Watchmaker of Filigree Street blends historical events with dazzling flights of fancy to plunge readers into a strange and magical past, where time, destiny, genius – and a clockwork octopus – collide.

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring TBR

Well, in a week that has seen yet more snow, dipping temperatures, freezing winds, and embracing water bottles, it’s nice to think about Spring isn’t it? It somehow seems really far away, and yet we’re closer to April 1st than we are the beginning of March. I’ve had a really great month of reading, and read a real mix of books, and would like to continue that on through the rest of Spring, so really this TBR topic could not have come at a better time.

For all of you who don’t know what Top Ten Tuesday is, or don’t know how to get involved, click here. The lovely folks at Broke and Bookish teamed together to create this awesome weekly prompt, which is now hosted by the wonderful Jana @ The Artsy Reader Girl. Then you pop your thinking cap on and narrow down those choices!

March TBR

Yo guys, it’s the end of February! I know, it’s crazy that we’re headed into March already, but it’s blowing a blizzard outside and is bloody freezing, so if you’re a winter bunny, you’ve got a bit to go yet.

There is still a little bit of February left so I haven’t committed to writing my wrap for the fear I’ll finish a book before the end of the month, so, I’ve decided to think ahead to next month. March is a month that’s long, and cold, and is the transition between the winter and being poor, and the spring and being hopeful. I have tried to read some more respectable fiction (and non-fiction) over the past couple of months and have done quite well, so to keep those efforts on track and to make sure I’m still ticking off challenges for Around the Year in 52 Books and Book Riot Read Harder, I’ve done a March TBR. It’s a bit ambitious, but if we’re honest, it always is!

Life On Air | Review

Title: Life On Air: Memoirs Of A Broadcaster

Author: Sir David Attenborough

Rating: 5 Stars

Dates read: 27 Jan 18 – 28 Jan 18

Publication date: 19 Sep 02

Publisher: BBC Books

Genre(s): Memoir; Non-fiction

 

Description:

Sir David Attenborough is Britain’s best-known natural history film-maker. His career as a naturalist and broadcaster has spanned nearly six decades, and in this volume of memoirs Sir David tells stories of the people and animals he has met and the places he has visited.

His first job – after Cambridge University and two years in the Royal Navy – was at a London publishing house. Then in 1952 he joined the BBC as a trainee producer, and it was while working on the Zoo Quest series (1954-64) that he had his first opportunity to undertake expeditions to remote parts of the globe, to capture intimate footage of rare wildlife in its natural habitat. He was Controller of BBC2 (1965-68), during which time he introduced colour television to Britain, then Director of Programmes for the BBC (1969-1972). However, in 1973 he abandoned administration altogether to return to documentary-making and writing, and has established himself as the world’s leading Natural History programme maker with several landmark BBC series, including Life on Earth (1979), The Living Planet (1984), The Trials of Life (1990), The Private Life of Plants (1995), Life of Birds (1998), The Blue Planet (2001), Life of Mammals (2002), Planet Earth (2006) and Life in Cold Blood (2008).

Sir David is an Honorary Fellow of Clare College, Cambridge, a Fellow of the Royal Society and was knighted in 1985. He is also Britain’s most respected, trusted and lauded natural history broadcaster and writer, championing conservation and standing at the forefront of issues concerning the planet’s declining species. A lot has changed since his first television documentary, and in this updated edition of Life on Air Sir David tells us of his experiences of filming in the 21st century.

Bout of Books 19: Day 1

Here we are again friends. Our favourite readathon is back, and I have already been reading (check me out, eh!). I have set out some fairly rigid and optimistic challenges and TBR list, so we’ll see how it goes.

If you have any questions throughout the readathon, I’m a Bout of Books expert, so please feel free to comment on my posts, or tweet me and I’ll try and help!

Friday Reads: Audiobook #Victober

It’s official, I have given up on #readASOIAF for the foreseeable future. I absolutely plan to go back and finish them, but reading A Storm of Swords was sapping the enjoyment I get from reading, and preventing me picking up any other novels. So for now, it is nowhere to be seen on my bedside table. As much as I am sad about this, it had to be done.

This week has passed at a scary pace. Emma and I have kept Ikea in business, and successfully built a large amount of flatpack, I have started to tidy downstairs, we’ve both been at work, I’ve rejoined my old hockey team, we’ve done a lot. Maybe this has made the week go quickly, or maybe time this week really did just speed up, but either way, I feel like I’ve lost a few days.