Book Review #799 - The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

A captivating, beautiful, and stunningly accomplished debut novel that opens in 1918 Australia - the story of a lighthouse keeper and his wife who make one devastating choice that forever changes two worlds. 

Australia, 1926. After four harrowing years fighting on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns home to take a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day's journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season and shore leaves are granted every other year at best, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby's cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby. 

Tom, whose records as a lighthouse keeper are meticulous and whose moral principles have withstood a horrific war, wants to report the man and infant immediately. But Isabel has taken the tiny baby to her breast. Against Tom's judgment, they claim her as their own and name her Lucy. When she is two, Tom and Isabel return to the mainland and are reminded that there are other people in the world. Their choice has devastated one of them. 

My Rating: 5/5

This book has been on my radar ever since the film adaptation was created but I didn't think it was my kind of book as I only read Young Adult exclusively back then.

It wasn't until recently when I learnt that the book was set in my home state of Western Australia that I saw it as a book that I wanted to read.

I loved the setting. It was very Australian and the fact that I have visited the lighthouse (pictured above) that was the inspiration for the one in the book made the setting so rich and vivid in my mind.

I absolutely loved the genuine Aussie feel the book from settings to characters. I found it very immersive and hard to believe it is the author's first book she has written.

The characters all felt so real and set against the backdrop of post World War I it was all very page turning.

The book was told in three parts. The third and final part was by far my least favourite as I didn't like leaving the setting of Janus Island (much like Lucy) but I was so deeply invested in the story at this stage that it wasn't that much of a problem.

Having read this book straight after The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo I had high expectations for another 5 star read and amazingly those expectations were met.

Book Review #796 - Lady Jane Grey by Sue Reid

The tragic story of Lady Jane Grey who was Queen of England for nine days in July 1553. Jane grew up watching her cousins in training as heirs to the throne, little imagining that by a twist of fate she would one day be crowned. But this is Tudor England where nobody plays fair, and even a queen isn't safe from those who wish her harm.

My Rating: 2/5

This book starts off in 1547 when Jane was only a child. I felt like this was only done to establish her friendship with her cousin Edward (the future child king) which obviously plays a larger role later on.

Starting the story so early made the book drag on so much because her life was so ordinary and boring up until the last few years.

If you are not that familiar with history and the life and death of Lady Jane Grey, I would not recommend this book at all because it throws a lot of names and dates around with no real explanation at times.

Book Review #725 - Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick

Ben and Rose secretly wish for better lives. Ben longs for the father he has never known. Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his mother's room and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children set out alone on desperate quests to find what they are missing.

Set fifty years apart, these two independent stories - Ben's told in words, Rose's in pictures - weave back and worth in symmetry.

 

 

My Rating: 8/10

 

 

I absolutely loved The Invention of Hugo Cabret and The Marvels and was pleased to discover that Wonderstruck was of the same quality.

 

I loved that both the drawings and the written words both equally portray the story. Neither of the elements is more dominant than the other.

 

The way the two stories seamlessly weaved together was really well done and is something that I admired about the previous two books as well.

 

The fact that a number of the main characters were deaf really added a whole other layer to the story especially how it was told not through any words, but drawings.

 

This book perfectly gives a silent nod to both art museums and New York which added so much character to the story and the drawings helped immensely bring this element alive.

 

Overall, this was a very beautifully woven adventure that had so much magic on every single one of its 600 plus pages.

Book Review #709 - 1915 (Australia's Great War #2) by Sally Murphy

The silence was eerie. In the darkness I could just see the mist that swirled around the rowboat. The men in the boat seemed lost in their own thoughts. No-one spoke, no-one made a sound. Somewhere ahead a loud report. A shot? Rifle fire, from the beach, which was only dimly coming into view. This was it. 

When Australia throws its support behind Britain in its fight against Germany, young teacher Stan Moore is one of the first to join up, swapping the classroom for adventure in Europe. But the 11th Battalion is sent with the newly formed Anzac Corp to Gallipoli where Stan is confronted by the hard lessons of war. 

Though conditions are dismal and death is everywhere, so is the humour and bravery that is the true spirit of Anzac.

My Rating: 7/10

I loved how this book included some well known Australian WW1 heroes such as the journalist Charles Bean and the medic on the donkey John Simpson Kirkpatrick. 

I loved this book so much more than the first one 1914. The protagonist in this one is from my home state of Western Australia so that helped but I also felt like we got a greater insight into the life of the brave men in the trenches in this book. 

Like with the first book, enough is shown to understand the true horror and loss of the war, but it is never overly graphic to feel out of place in a YA novel. 

These books blend real historical events with intriguing and relatable characters so well. I loved the letters between Stanley on the western front and his sister Elizabeth back home in Bunbury.

I also found the field hospital really interesting as that is where my great-grandfather spent the majority of his time during the war with illness. It was good to be able to add some personal details to the story in that aspect. 

Book Review #688 - Little Women (Little Women #1) by Louisa May Alcott

Following the lives of four sisters on a journey out of adolescence, Louisa May Alcott's Little Women explores the difficulties associated with gender roles in a Post-Civil War America.

My Rating: 4/5

I read this book as part of my 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die challenge. 

This is a much loved, timeless classic and it's not hard for me to see why after finishing it. 

Set during the US Civil War, this heart warming story follows four sisters namely Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy through their struggles of having to grow up fast with their family thrown into hard times. 

Jo was by far my favourite character as I think she was most like myself. After reading a biography on the author I got with the book I can see that Jo was based on her and is somewhat autobiographical. Jo also seems more of a modern woman rather than a 19th century one. 

I loved how realistic the characters were and this was shown through their flaws. Meg was easily jealous of other people's wealth, Jo had a bad temper, Beth was extremely shy and Amy was selfish. I loved how over the year that this book is set, all four girls manage to overcome their flaws. 

The language used is that one would hear in the 19th century and I found this quality really draining at first. It also made this book feel a lot longer than what it was. 

The setting in this book was also very realistic. I felt like I was time travelling to the 19th century every time I opened the book. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and really want to read the sequel/companion books in fact I have already ordered them. 

Book Review #677 - Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Part Four: Chapters 32-45)

This is Part Four of my review. Part Three can be found here. 

My Rating: N/A

These chapters deal with the struggles Scarlett faces now that the war has ended. Scarlett had expected her life and her finances to improve and instead they have worsened. 

When the Yankees, who are trying to get the Southerners off the land raise the taxes on Tara to an amount Scarlett cannot pay, she seeks Ashley's advice. He is unable to help her. 

During this time I felt that Ashley was the female character, and Scarlett the male. It is Scarlett who is financially supporting Ashley and his young family. Scarlett also states that she couldn't bear to see Ashley having to do manual labour, the work she undertakes herself. 

Some good does come of her conversation though as she realises that Tara is the most important part of her life. 

Looking for financial aid, Scarlett goes to see Rhett. When she discovers he is in prison, she thinks it will be easier to get the money from him. She ends up offering herself up to be his mistress, a role that she turned down in the past. This shows just how desperate she is to save Tara and how in her desperation to save Tara, she is willing to lose all the morals her upbringing afforded to her. 

After Rhett rejects her, Scarlett returns to her endlessly selfish ways buy lying to her sister's wealthy betrothed in order to con him into marrying her in exchange for him paying the exuberant taxes over Tara. 

It wasn't so much her actions that bothered me over this, it is the fact that she had absolutely no guilt over it.  

While Scarlett seems to adapt well to the new way of post-war life, entirely motivated by money, the rest of Atlanta are clinging to the old way of life, including Scarlett's new husband. 

This is none more evident that when Scarlett sees that wood is a much needed product in the post-war life of rebuilding that she decides to open a mill while the rest of the town is horrified that a woman is working especially when she continues to work throughout her pregnancy. 

Racial tensions are high with the introduction of the Ku Klux Klan. The story is told from the South's perspective and so the KKK is portrayed as more as protectors rather than the racist extremists we know them as today. 

As much as Scarlett hates the Yankees, she works with them which further angers the town. This further shows just how much more Scarlett values money over morals. 

Scarlett returns to Tara after her father's death where she has to deal with the consequences of betraying her sister. 

Scarlett again confronts Ashley, this time getting his wife Melanie to unknowingly aid her in emotionally blackmailing him to work for her at her mill. Ashley had plans to go North to work in a bank but Scarlett wanted him close to her. This selfish decision seems to break what was left of Ashley's spirit. 

Not long after giving birth to her daughter Ella, Scarlett is attacked by a free slave as she is travelling around alone as her actions have isolated her from everyone. 

Ashley and Frank unbeknownst to Scarlett are members of the KKK and after she is attacked, they seek revenge. 

When they return Scarlett is too worried about Ashley's gunshot wound that she fails to notice that Frank did not return. 

Book Review #677 - Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Part Three - Chapters 21-31)

This is part three of my review. Click here for part two. 

My Rating: N/A

This portion of the book sees Scarlett return to Tara and the reality of her new life and her new role as head of the family takes its toll on her. 

Whilst my indifference towards Scarlett only increased slightly during these chapters, my respect for her grew significantly. The way she really stood up when she was needed was really unexpected especially considering how sheltered and pampered her upbringing was. 

There was a scene where a Yankee broke into Tara and was stealing some of Scarlett's mother Ellen's possessions and Scarlett very calmly killed him. I think this really showed how much Scarlett has had to grow up because of the war. 

Melly or Melanie is a character that I am not sure how I feel about. I find her really weak and her need to please everybody gets annoying but she may just seem that way in contrast to Scarlett who is the most selfish person ever. 

The end of this portion of the book deals with the war ending and the amazing return of Ashley whom no one had expected to survive. 

Scarlett undoes all her newfound maturity by confronting Ashley again. Scarlett's obsession with him is the most annoying thing about her as she is so unable to see the truth. 

Another thing that bothers me a lot about Scarlett is the way she treats and interacts with her son Wade. There are long periods in this book where I forget she even has a son - and probably Scarlett forgets this fact too. 

Scarlett's sisters are also very annoying. They remind me of how Scarlett was at the beginning of the book. 

Book Review #677 - Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Part Two - Chapters 7-20)

This is part two of my review. Part one can be found here. 

My Rating: N/A

I actually really enjoyed Scarlett during these chapters. Her naiveness really made me laugh at times. 

Rhett Butler is introduced and I loved how he didn't conform to the way of life then, he would have fitted in really well in the 21st century. 

I loved the historical element being set during the US Civil War. We are given such a real insight into not only the impact the Southerners had being on the losing side of such a conflict, but the war itself. 

Being an Australian and not knowing anything about this conflict, I feel like I've already learnt so much already and I'm not even a quarter wau through the book. 

Book Review #677 - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (Part One - Chapters 1-7)

Set against the dramatic backdrop of the American Civil War, Margaret Mitchell's epic love story is an unforgettable tale of love and loss, of a nation mortally divided and its people forever changed. At the heart of all this chaos is the story of beautiful, ruthless Scarlett O'Hara and the dashing soldier of fortune, Rhett Butler.

My Rating: N/A

I have been wanting to read this book for a very long time but the sheer size of it has always intimidated me which is why I decided to break it into parts to read it, which is also how I am going to review it. 

The story is set in the American south in the build up to the US Civil War which as an Australian I knew nothing about other than it was the end of slavery. 

I am struggling with Scarlett and her spoilt, childlike manner and hope she matures as the book progresses. 

The only negative thing I have found about this book so far is the slaves' dialogue in that I am finding it really hard to decipher as words are spelt the way they are pronounced rather than how they should be spelt. 

I am shocked at the way women were treated then especially how for unmarried women, eating in public is frowned upon and how they stuff themselves full of food and then tighten their corsets before they go to any party or event. 

Book Review #667 - Library of Souls (Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children #3) by Ransom Riggs

The adventures that began with Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children and continued with Hollow City comes to a thrilling conclusion with Library of Souls.

As the story opens, sixteen-year-old Jacob discovers a powerful new ability, and soon he’s diving through history to rescue his peculiar companions from a heavily guarded fortress. Accompanying Jacob on his journey are Emma Bloom, a girl with fire at her fingertips, and Addison MacHenry, a dog with a nose for sniffing out lost children.

They’ll travel from modern-day London to the labyrinthine alleys of Devil’s Acre, the most wretched slum in all of Victorian England. It’s a place where the fate of peculiar children everywhere will be decided once and for all. 

Like its predecessors, Library of Souls blends thrilling fantasy with never-before-published vintage photography.

My Rating: 4/5

Given the way Hollow City ended, I can't believe I managed to wait a week before picking up the third and final book in this exhilarating trilogy. 

This book wasn't as action packed as Hollow City nor did it have the tone I loved so much in the first book, but I think that this book is probably my favourite in the series just because of the serious plot developments. 

Addison the talking dog plays a bigger role in this book which I loved because who doesn't want an incredibly brave, talking dog constantly saving the day? (better than a cat anyway). 

I still had issues with the romance in that I still don't feel the connection between Jacob and Emma. I think that maybe this is because Emma used to be Jacob's grandfathers girlfriend and that creeps me out a little. 

I loved the way all the peculiar children worked together in Hollow City and so I was a little disappointed that they were all separated for the large majority of this installment.

The ending was completely unexpected (in a good way) and I think this series could not possibly have ended in a better way. The only question that I have now is what really happened to Fiona?    

Book Review #661 - Hollow City (Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children #2) by Ransom Riggs

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children was the surprise best seller of 2011—an unprecedented mix of YA fantasy and vintage photography that enthralled readers and critics alike. Publishers Weekly called it “an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters.”

This second novel begins in 1940, immediately after the first book ended. Having escaped Miss Peregrine’s island by the skin of their teeth, Jacob and his new friends must journey to London, the peculiar capital of the world. Along the way, they encounter new allies, a menagerie of peculiar animals, and other unexpected surprises.

Complete with dozens of newly discovered (and thoroughly mesmerizing) vintage photographs, this new adventure will delight readers of all ages.

My Rating: 4.5/5

This book follows on straight from where the first book ended and wastes no time before setting forth with Jacob and the peculiars on the next exciting adventure. 

I loved the idea of a book within a book - The Tales of the Peculiar and the stories within.

The character development in this book was substantial with not only the the characters themselves but their peculiar abilities. 

The pictures in this book were always included in the most perfect moments and really complimented the story. I didn't like the pictures as much as the ones in the first book though. 

There were also numerous plot twists late in the book that I never saw coming and now I can't wait to read book 3. 

Book Review #657 - Passenger (Passenger #1) by Alexandra Bracken

This journey is only the beginning...

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Pulled back through time to 1776 in the midst of a fierce sea battle, she has travelled not only miles, but years from home. 

With the arrival of this unusual passenger on his ship, privateer Nicholas Carter has to confront a past that he can't escape and the powerful Ironwood family who won't let him go without a fight. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value; one they believe only Etta can find. 

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by an enigmatic traveler. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are playing, treacherous forces threaten to separate Etta from Nicholas, and her way home, forever.

My Rating: 4/5

This was my first Alexandra Bracken book and given how much I have heard about her books, and Passenger in particular, I had relatively high expectations for it. 

For a book that is almost 500 pages, Passenger was rather overly detailed and very slow to get moving. 

There was so much back story in this book regarding the families and their abilities to transport through time. Arguably, that amount of depth was needed to make the story coherent, but it really did slow down the pacing of the book immensely. 

It was refreshing to have an African American as the love interest as YA literature seriously lacks cultural and racial diversity. 

This book over its journey is set in a lot of different countries in a lot of different eras. My favourite of these was war time London as it seemed like a very terrifying yet intriguing time. 

Book Review #656 - 1914 (Australia's Great War #1) by Sophie Masson

A small black bottle or a torch came sailing through the air, and landed on the side of the car, close to the Archduke. An instant later came a terrific bang, the road exploded in a shower of dust and stones, and tiny sharp things went flying through the air like angry bees.

In June 1914, Louis and his brother Thomas are enjoying the European summer in a small town near Sarajevo. In the shadow of the assassination of the heir to the Austrian throne, the world erupts into war and Louis' life changes forever. Old Europe is torn apart and Louis finds himself in the midst of his own battle - and fighting for the truth in war means that sometimes even your own side is against you. 

My Rating: 5/5

World War One has become a really fascinating topic for me over the last year or so and so I was really fascinated to read this book. 

What I loved most about this book was how well it blended fiction with fact. There were strong, interesting, fictional characters put into real historical settings. 

I loved the whole journalism aspect - it enabled the story to delve into the true horrific nature of the war without going too deeply (it is a children's book after all). 

A distant cousin of mine died at Polygon Wood and it is very rarely mentioned in any history books so I was really impressed that it got a mention in this book. 

Overall, this was a very compelling and emotional read and I can't wait to read the sequels. 

Book Review #652 - Voyager (Outlander #3) by Diana Gabaldon

Their passionate encounter happened two centuries ago when the gallant renegade Jamie Fraser sent her back to her own time, pregnant with his child, believing he would be killed in the bloody Battle of Culloden in 1746. Now their daughter has grown up and Claire discovers that Jamie survived. Drawn back across the chasm of time she seeks once more the man she could never forget, the destiny she cannot ignore... 

My Rating: 3.5/5

It has been a while since I have been in the Outlander world by page but since I have spent all last week binging out Outlander season 2 I thought it was the perfect time to read on with theis amazing series. 

Because I am really interested in ancestry, I really enjoyed Claire, Brianna and Roger's research and could really relate to it. 

This book is set roughly 20 or so years after the last book and so I found it a new experience having to rediscover the characters. 

It was also for that reason that I felt kind of distanced from them and made this book my least favourite of the series so far. 

Book Review #632 - Virgins by Diana Gabaldon (Outlander #0.5)

My Rating: 2.5/5


Source: Library


Goodreads











A young Jamie Fraser learns what it really means to become a man in this Outlander prequel novella. Featuring all the trademark suspense, adventure, and history of Diana Gabaldon’s #1 bestselling novels and the Starz original series, Virgins is now available for the first time as a standalone ebook.

Mourning the death of his father and gravely injured at the hands of the English, Jamie Fraser finds himself running with a band of mercenaries in the French countryside, where he reconnects with his old friend Ian Murray. Both are nursing wounds; both have good reason to stay out of Scotland; and both are still virgins, despite several opportunities to remedy that deplorable situation with ladies of easy virtue. But Jamie’s love life becomes infinitely more complicated—and dangerous—when fate brings the young men into the service of Dr. Hasdi, a Jewish gentleman who hires them to escort two priceless treasures to Paris. One is an old Torah; the other is the doctor’s beautiful daughter, Rebekah, destined for an arranged marriage. Both Jamie and Ian are instantly drawn to the bride-to-be—but they might be more cautious if they had any idea who they’re truly dealing with.

I read this story in a book I borrowed from my local library called Dangerous Women. It was edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois.

I borrowed the book with the complete intention of reading all the stories but time got away from me and so I only read the only one I initially even borrowed the book for and that was this one.

This story is set before Outlander and begins just as Jamie escapes from Blackjack Randall after being severely lashed.

I loved the friendship between Jamie and Ian and this was probably my favourite aspect to the story.

The plot was interesting and even though I am not usually fond of religion in books, I rather enjoyed the inclusion of Judaism.

Even though this book was written by a woman, I didn't like the poor portrayal of women at times during this book.

For example, a woman gets brutally raped in front of a crowd of people and yet nobody does anything. Also, around 99% of the female characters in this story were prostitutes and the main plot of the story was Jamie and Ian transporting a young girl to a wedding against her wishes.

Overall, I loved being back in the Outlander world but without Claire, there was a huge void that nothing could fill.

Book Review #623 - Lovesong by Alex Miller

My Rating: 2/5


Source: Book Club


Buy: The Book Depository


Goodreads

Seeking shelter in a Parisian cafe from a sudden rainstorm, John Patterner meets the exotic Sabiha and his carefully mapped life changes forever. Resonant of the bestselling Conditions of Faith, Alex Miller's keenly awaited new novel tells the deeply moving story of their lives together, and of how each came undone by desire.

Strangers did not, as a rule, find their way to Chez Dom, a small, rundown Tunisian cafe on Paris' distant fringes. Run by the widow Houria and her young niece, Sabiha, the cafe offers a home away from home for the North African immigrant workers working at the great abattoirs of Vaugiraud, who, like them, had grown used to the smell of blood in the air. But when one day a lost Australian tourist, John Patterner, seeks shelter in the cafe from a sudden Parisian rainstorm, the quiet simplicities of their lives are changed forever. John is like no-one Sabiha has met before - his calm grey eyes promise her a future she was not yet even aware she wanted. Theirs becomes a contented but unlikely marriage - a marriage of two cultures lived in a third - and yet because they are essentially foreigners to each other, their love story sets in train an irrevocable course of tragic events.

Years later, living a small, quiet life in suburban Melbourne, what happened at Vaugiraud seems like a distant, troubling dream to Sabiha and John, who confides the story behind their seemingly ordinary lives to Ken, an ageing, melancholy writer. It is a story about home and family, human frailties and passions, raising questions of morals and purpose - questions have no simple answer.

Lovesong is a simple enough story in many ways - the story of a marriage, of people coming undone by desire, of ordinary lives and death, love and struggle - but when told with Miller's distinctive voice, which is all intelligence, clarity and compassion, it has a real gravitas, it resonates and is deeply moving. Into the wonderfully evoked contemporary settings of Paris and Melbourne, memories of Tunisian family life, culture and its music are tenderly woven.

I read this book for the book club that my mum and I joined and this is definitely a book that was outside my comfort zone. 

This book begins by telling you the ending of the book then showing you how it got there. I had mixed feelings about this method. 

On one hand, I liked that we knew the ending because it added more intrigue to the story when it didn't look possible for the story to end the way it did. 

On the other hand, I felt like knowing the ending ruined some of the potential suspense that could have developed. 

The major problem I had with this book was the character Sabiha. I have never come across a character anywhere near as selfish or plainly unlikable as her. She ruined the entire book for me.

The title is a little misleading as when I was handed this book at book club I was dreading this being a romance book, but it is anything but. 

Overall, I really enjoyed the writing style but obviously the author is too good at writing horrible characters. 

Book Review #609 - Dragonfly in Amber (Outlander #2) by Diana Gabaldon

My Rating: 4/5


Source: Bought


Buy: The Book Depository


Goodreads

For twenty years Claire Randall has kept her secrets. But now she is returning with her grown daughter to the majesty of Scotland's mist-shrouded hills. Here Claire plans to reveal a truth as stunning as the events that gave it birth: about the mystery of an ancient circle of standing stones, about a love that transcends the boundaries of time, and about James Fraser, a warrior whose gallantry once drew the young Claire from the security of her century to the dangers of his.Now a legacy of blood and desire will test her beautiful daughter as Claire's spellbinding journey continues in the intrigue-ridden court of Charles Edward Stuart, in a race to thwart a doomed uprising, and in a desperate fight to save both the child and the man she loves.

I read Outlander back in August and given the way it ended, I wanted a break from it before starting this one. However, I recently started the TV show (which is amazing) and felt like finally returning to this world. 

When I first started reading this book I felt like I had missed something as it is set 20 or so years (or 220 years) from where it left off. I found myself slowly being immersed in the story again though and I never looked back. 

This book had so many political aspects to it that truthfully were a little boring at times but had crucial implications to the story as a whole and were definitely needed. 

So many of the characters from Outlander were not present in this book (or had very minor roles) which enabled full attention on Claire and Jamie. I felt like their relationship developed a lot in this book. 

What I loved most about this book was that it was set around a real historical event. I love books that make me want to spend hours on wikipedia after reading them. I feel like I am learning a lot about Scottish history and culture just from reading these books which I enjoy. 

There were a few new characters but none impressed me as much as Fergus. Apart from Jamie and Claire, he is definitely my favourite character in this series. 

The whole 'other' story about Claire, her daughter and Roger was a little confusing to me. I can't see how that part of the story can develop without causing ripples in the time continuum. 

The ending of this book was a really good cliff hanger and has made me want to read Voyager straight away. 

Book Review #604 - The Marvels by Brian Selznick

My Rating: 5/5


Source: Scholastic Australia


Buy: The Book Depository


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Two seemingly unrelated stories--one in words, the other in pictures--come together. The illustrated story begins in 1766 with Billy Marvel, the lone survivor of a shipwreck, and charts the adventures of his family of actors over five generations. The prose story opens in 1990 and follows Joseph, who has run away from school to an estranged uncle's puzzling house in London, where he, along with the reader, must piece together many mysteries.


This book contains two stories that are connected in a way I can't explain without revealing massive spoilers. 

The first book is told entirely through drawings. The second is told through a combination of drawings and words. 

The author conveys his story extremely well using both methods. I honestly cannot choose which skill he is better at. 

I love the drawings in this book. They really carried the story. They were expressive and conveyed the story perfectly. 

Book Review #603 - All Quiet on the Western Front (All Quiet on the Western Front/The Road Back #1) by Erich Maria Remarque

My Rating: 4.5/5


Source: Bought


Buy: The Book Depository


Goodreads






One by one the boys begin to fall...

In 1914 a room full of German schoolboys, fresh-faced and idealistic, are goaded by their schoolmaster to troop off to the 'glorious war'. With the fire and patriotism of youth they sign up. What follows is the moving story of a young 'unknown soldier' experiencing the horror and disillusionment of life in the trenches.

I decided to read this as part of my 1001 Books you must read before you die challenge where I try and read one book from the list per month. I thought because of Remembrance Day, this would be the perfect pick for November. 

This book was both vivid and compelling. It was obvious that the author was writing from experience as it was high quality and seemingly accurate. 

The relationship between the young German 'boys' who have known each other since childhood was fascinating because of how their relationship changes over the course of the novel. 

My favourite scene in the book is when the narrator goes out into the trenches as a scout and ends up getting lost. This scene had me on the edge of my seat and it was extremely vivid. 

The only negative things I can say about this book is when the narrator goes home on leave in around the middle of the book I felt like this disrupted the flow of the story and I became a little bored. Also, the ending was a little rushed and vague. 

Book Review #599 - William the Conqueror vs King Harold by Jesse Lee Vint

My Rating: 3/5


Source: The Author


Buy: The Book Depository


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THE STORY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN TOLD! Even rarer than the appearance of Halley’s Comet in the year 1066 A.D. was the appearance of three undefeated warrior kings that same year. All three of these warrior kings felt that they had a claim to the British crown, and all three were intrepid fighters who were well known for never taking a step backward. For this reason 1066 was a historical year unlike any other. 

Normandy’s William the Conqueror is one of the most dashing, powerful, and massively influential figures in all of world history. Equally fascinating is Harold Godwinson, crowned King Harold II of England in January of 1066. Norway’s Haarald (Hard Rule) Hardrada, the incomparable Viking warrior king, also played a central role in the destiny of the world in that amazing year. 

These two historical giants, William and Harold, became the greatest of friends -- and the worst of enemies. Caught in the middle of this raging storm that resulted in The Battle of Hastings was Princess Adelize, the young and beautiful daughter of William, and the devoted fiancé of King Harold II. 

Humor! Heart! History! These are the three words that define this historical saga that is written in the style of an Arthurian adventure novel.

I am always looking for interesting books in genres I don't normally read and this book really hit that mark for me. 

William the Conqueror is a historical figure that I have heard of, but just didn't know that much about. I loved that this book blended the historical elements with an interesting and likable plot. 

The book had a very cinematic feel to it so it was not surprising that soon after finishing it I discovered it had originally been written as a screenplay. 

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and I loved the time period that it was set in. 

I would recommend this book to readers of all genres as it blends a wide variety of genres really well and everyone is bound to find something they like with this book.