It is wonderful to finally make my way back to WordPress after such a long hiatus. I was excited to see many familiar book blogs, but also some new ones as well.
For my absence I can only blame the ups and downs of life. I never intended to leave blogging for so long, but the last two years have been difficult (and I know this is true for many people, not just me).
I’m easing back into blogging at the moment. My goal is to regularly do ‘WWW Wednesday’ and review my latest reads, but I probably won’t go beyond that to start with.
Also – I’d love to connect with new book bloggers. I have been searching for new people to follow, but the WordPress ‘Discover’ page doesn’t always reflect my interests. Please feel free to leave a link to your book blog in the comments!
WWW Wednesday was created by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. If you would like to participate, simply answer the questions below and link back to Sam’s site.
The Three Ws are:
What are you currently reading? What did you recently finish reading? What do you think you’ll read next?
Currently reading: Accidental Feminists by Jane Caro was given to me by a relative who always gets it right when it comes to books. I am about two thirds of the way through and I am deeply engaged by Caro’s writing style and her witty, but earnest observations. Highly recommend.
Fathoms: The World in the Whale is perhaps the most beautiful book I have ever seen. I have only read one chapter, but I am already loving the writing style. I bought this book after reading In Heart of the Sea and wanting to learn more about whales.
Recently finished: This was my third reread of Skyward and it never disappoints. I highly recommend this book to folks who enjoy YA sci-fi.
Kingdom of the Wicked is a lush, gothic, young adult romance. I found it to be an engaging read with a solid mystery, but too short for me. It felt like a lot of the plot developments occurred to set up the sequel (which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, I just expected more from this book).
Reading next: I am excited to start these books, particularly Paris Savages. If anyone has read Paris Savages or Tidelands I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thank you for reading my WWW Wednesday! Feel free to leave a link to yours in the comments – I would love to check it out!
Published: December 3rd, 2019, William Morrow Paperbacks
Pages: 280
Synopsis
Charlotte Collins, nee Lucas, is the respectable wife of Hunsford’s vicar, and sees to her duties by rote: keeping house, caring for their adorable daughter, visiting parishioners, and patiently tolerating the lectures of her awkward husband and his condescending patroness, Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Intelligent, pragmatic, and anxious to escape the shame of spinsterhood, Charlotte chose this life, an inevitable one so socially acceptable that its quietness threatens to overwhelm her. Then she makes the acquaintance of Mr. Travis, a local farmer and tenant of Lady Catherine..
In Mr. Travis’ company, Charlotte feels appreciated, heard, and seen. For the first time in her life, Charlotte begins to understand emotional intimacy and its effect on the heart—and how breakable that heart can be. With her sensible nature confronted, and her own future about to take a turn, Charlotte must now question the role of love and passion in a woman’s life, and whether they truly matter for a clergyman’s wife.
My Thoughts
I have long been fascinated with Charlotte Lucas, Elizabeth Bennett’s pragmatic best friend in Pride and Prejudice. Older than Elizabeth, Charlotte is plain and comes from a poor, but genteel family. In the early chapters of Jane Austen’s novel we see Charlotte in the background while Elizabeth takes her first steps in what will be an epic romance with Mr Darcy.
Charlotte, however has no epic love story. She is 27 years old, approaching spinsterhood with very little chance of securing her own living. As women of her class were forbidden from working, Charlotte faces an uncertain future of being dependent on her male relatives.
Elizabeth is equally disadvantaged (with her family estate entailed away from female relatives), but younger and more headstrong. So when the pompous and undesirable Mr Collins makes her an offer of marriage, Elizabeth refuses. In Elizabeth’s refusal, Charlotte sees an opportunity to secure her future and pursues Mr Collins. In doing so, she achieves what she and every other woman of the time were told was their goal: a good marriage.
From the 2005 Pride and Prejudice adaption
Charlotte’s story in Pride and Prejudice ends with her marriage to the unappealing Mr Collins. It is meant to be a cautionary tale, as later in the book we see that Charlotte and Mr Collins have very little in common and are certainly not in love.
I have always had a soft spot for Charlotte Lucas. A woman of her times, who did the best she could with the opportunities given to her. Part of this is because Charlotte is a realist, much like me. In the early half of Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte sees the limitations around her and works with them. She does not wish upon a star or hold out for a true love that might never arrive. Whether you agree with her or not, Charlotte was faced with a bleak future and made what she believed was the sensible choice.
Given my affinity for Charlotte, I was excited when I read the synopsis for Molly Greeley’s book The Clergyman’s Wife. A book that continues Charlotte’s story after Pride and Prejudice.
Greeley’s novel begins by showing the reader what Charlotte’s everyday life is like as Mr Collin’s wife. As in Pride and Prejudice, Charlotte and William do not have a strong connection nor understanding as husband and wife. But Charlotte finds joy in her surroundings and in her small daughter Louisa. She does not talk often with her husband, instead preferring to go for walks in nearby Rosing’s Park. She is written as being quiet and biddable, constantly putting up with the interference of Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
I loved Greeley’s depiction of all the characters from Pride and Prejudice, particularly Charlotte and Lady Catherine. The latter who is as formidable and patronising as she was in Austen’s novel.
Charlotte is a sympathetic character, one who continues to live her life simply and peacefully. Although she is a mask of humility and modesty to those around her, we can surmise from early on in The Clergyman’s Wife that Charlotte is lonely and unhappy.
The catalyst for change in story is when she meets Mr Travis, a local farmer who has been tasked with tending the roses at Mr Collin’s house. Travis is everything that Mr Collins is not. He is rough, but also quiet, intuitive and intelligent. A salt-of-the-Earth character, Mr Travis has a steady dignity that stands in stark contrast with Mr Collin’s ridiculous mannerisms and dialogue.
The romance between Charlotte and Mr Travis is a slow burn of subtle interactions where they gradually get to know each other. As Charlotte develops a deep, tender connection with Mr Travis, she must then decide what risks are worth taking for her own happiness.
If you are looking for an epic romance then this is not it. The connection that develops between Charlotte and Mr Travis is limited by the social rules of the time. I appreciated this aspect of The Clergyman’s Wife as the author keeps the story realistic. That being said, while I sympathised with Charlotte I also found her frustrating at times. It is admirable to be sensible, but Charlotte’s inability to take risks was disappointing (while being true to her character in Pride and Prejudice).
On the whole I enjoyed The Clergyman’s Wife for its insight into the character of Charlotte Lucas, the tender romance and the beautiful descriptions of the English countryside. I also loved Elizabeth and Darcy’s cameo and how Mr Darcy endured Mr Collins so Lizzie and Charlotte could talk.
If you are after a more fast-paced Pride and Prejudice adaption, with surprising twists, I would suggest reading Longbourn by Jo Baker, which shows the events of P&P from the perspective of the Bennett servants. It is a dark and gritty retelling, where the characters have very little agency, but still take dangerous risks.
Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?
The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?
This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.
My Thoughts
Sitting down to write this review I found myself battling a mental blank. It has been a long time since my last book review so that was one contributing factor. Writing book reviews it turns out is not like riding a bike. You can’t just pick up where you left off after a long break.
The other reason was that despite the fact I enjoyed this book, I found there were very few memorable things about it. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Sometimes an easy, sweet read is just what you need to get yourself out of a reading slump. Well Met certainly did that for me.
Well Met is a cute, easy read with likeable characters and an enjoyable (albeit predictable) romantic plot. It focuses on Emily and Simon and their hate-to-love romance. Emily is written as the ‘every girl’ – she’s not perfect, but she loves her family and tries her best to help them. She begins the story as a city girl out of her element in the small country town of Willow Creek. Emily is in Willow Creek to care for her older sister April (who was in a car accident) and help look after her niece Caitlin, who wants to be in the annual Renaissance Fair.
As Caitlin cannot be in the Fair without an adult guardian, Emily is forced to participate and ends up playing a tavern wench called ‘Emma’. This is where she meets Simon, the local high school English teacher and no-nonsense organiser of the annual Renaissance Fair.
Although Simon’s perspective is never shown within the novel, he is by far the most interesting of the two leads. Having lost his brother to cancer a few years prior, he feels a crushing pressure to continue running the Fair to honour his brother’s memory. We later learn that Simon feels trapped within these expectations, wanting to both preserve his brother’s creation (the Fair) and also be free to live his own life.
Simon pedantic attitude means that he and Emily get off on the wrong foot. Emily cannot understand his stern approach, while Simon is wary of Emily’s flippant attitude and the change that she brings to Willow Creek. Their interactions are terse and hostile – that is until they become their Fair characters: tavern wench ‘Emma’ and ‘Captain Blackthorn’.
This is where the story truly becomes delicious. Simon seemingly despises Emily, but his counterpart Captain Blackthorn is a bold, seductively charming pirate who flirts outrageously with her.
Emily’s head is understandably turned when one minute Captain Blackthorn is kissing her hand and the next Simon is scolding her for rearranging the tables in the tavern.
The romantic tension is well done here. Simon is gorgeous, but dark, brooding and reserved. He is a cross between Mr Darcy and Jack Sparrow, with both sides of his personality vying for control. As Captain Blackthorn and Emma’s ‘fake’ romance becomes increasingly heated, Emily and Simon can’t help but be drawn to each other, even when they are not in costume.
For those of you who like an explicit story, Well Met delivers on that front. There is no fade to black here. The scenes involving intimacy are uncensored, with a strong focus on female pleasure. These are some of the best sex scenes I have read and – having read all of Sarah J. Maas’ books – I have read a lot of smut.
On the flip side this book is definitely not suitable for anyone under the age of thirteen.
The only complaint I had with the novel was the predictable conflict 3/4 of the way through. It came off as completely contrived and unnecessary. I knew it was coming and I skipped through most of it to get to the end.
Despite this, I would say that Well Met is a great read if you are in the mood for a fluffy, hate-to-love romance. It’s a sweet and predictable distraction for a slow Sunday afternoon.
The supporting characters were well written and added additional colour to the story. I gather that the next two books will focus on these characters and their lives (and romances) in Willow Creek and I am looking forward to reading them.
Allow me to take a quick (and very welcome!) break from job-hunting to bring you my reads for the week.
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words where you answer three fixed questions about your reading habits. It is fun and easy to participate.
What are you currently reading?
This is my second attempt at reading Burial Rites. I hope it grabs me this time!
What did you recently finish reading?
This book is just perfect. It is rich, inclusive and optimistic science fiction. Contrary to many reviews, I enjoyed A Closed and Common Orbit more than the first book. Give this series a try, you won’t regret it!
Can you fall in love with someone you’ve never met, never even spoken to – someone who is light years away?
Romy Silvers is the only surviving crew-member of a spaceship travelling to a new planet, on a mission to establish a second home for humanity amongst the stars. Alone in space, she is the loneliest girl in the universe until she hears about a new ship which has launched from Earth – with a single passenger on board. A boy called J.
Their only communication with each other is via email – and due to the distance between them, their messages take months to transmit across space. And yet Romy finds herself falling in love.
But what does Romy really know about J? And what do the mysterious messages which have started arriving from Earth really mean?
Sometimes, there’s something worse than being alone . . .
My Thoughts
Romy is alone.
The only survivor on a pioneer spaceship headed to a distant planet, Romy is the guardian of humanity’s future. It is her mission is to keep the ship running and eventually build a settlement on Earth II. Did I mention that Romy is also a teenager?
What Romy wants most of all is human companionship and when another ship launches from Earth it seems that her wish has been granted. A bonus – the passenger, known only as J is sweet, sensitive and by all appearances her perfect match. But then things slowly start to go wrong and what starts out as a sci-fi romance transforms into a nail-biting, horror thriller.
Romy is kind and book-smart, but understandably naive when it comes to human interaction. As a character, she is well-fleshed out and incredibly relatable. She is not the typical all-powerful space opera hero, but a lonely, scared teenage girl slowly coming into her own. Romy makes mistakes often and is driven by her emotions. While she has considerable scientific prowess, Romy has little knowledge of human beings and the evil they are capable of. Her weaknesses are what makes the climax so tense, because of the seemingly insurmountable danger she faces.
The mystery of this book is what kept me reading. Who is J? What does he want? Are his intentions innocent or nefarious? These are the questions you will find yourself asking as you tear through The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. This book is definitely a one night read if you are up for it and don’t start jumping at shadows when the story goes dark (which it does – VERY DARK).
Lauren James does a good job of contrasting Romy and her vulnerability with the powerful vastness of space. It is an excellent metaphor for how a teenager might feel growing up in our uncertain world. My only complaint is that the ending seemed rushed and did not tie up all the loose ends, but on the whole, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I would recommend The Loneliest Girl in the Universe for anyone who enjoys sci-fi thrillers.
“On good days, which don’t come often, I love my ship and everything it represents. I thrill at the thought of seeing Earth II. There are going to be so many things there that have never been seen by human eyes before. I’ll get to study the planet using priceless, brand-new equipment that’s just waiting to be unpacked. I’ll discover things that might change the fate of humanity forever. The Infinity is the biggest, most expensive scientific mission in history. I get to be the very first person to see the results. I’m so lucky.
On bad days, I worry about my responsibilities until my gut cramps and my head feels full of knives.
On my very worst days, I think of nothing but how vulnerable I am out here. I’m balanced on the edge of oblivion with only a fragile skin of metal separating me from the void of space.”
Have you read The Loneliest Girl in the Universe? If so, what are thoughts on Romy and her adventure?
Published: July 29th, 2014 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Pages: 518
Synopsis
Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the ageing Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.
Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunnelling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.
My Thoughts
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet was completely different from what I expected. Having just finished a number of books of a similar ilk, I was fully prepared for another fast-paced YA thriller, full of high stakes and romance. What I got was completely different and unlike anything else in I have encountered in young adult fiction.
If you are after a fast-paced story with larger-than-life heroes and scheming villains, then this is not the book for you. The strength of this book is in its characters and world-building. The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a character-driven book, in which the unfolding events slowly, but beautifully create an intricate universe.
The world building in this book is amazing, but it does mean that the story progresses slowly. The plot takes place on a spaceship that creates tunnels (or wormholes) in space for expedited space travel. I did not understand the science completely, but you don’t have to, to enjoy the book. Think wormholes in Interstellar (see video linked).
The characters spend most of the book travelling through space to a small, remote planet so that they can build a wormhole/tunnel. As they live together aboard this spacecraft (with a few stops along the way) the reader learns more about them and the world they inhabit. The story initially focuses on Rosemary Harper, the new recruit with a dubious past. While I liked Rosemary, I soon became far more interested in Sissex (the reptilian alien pilot), Kizzy (the mechanic) and Ashby (the captain). I liked how the romances aboard the ship didn’t follow the typical YA formula of gorgeous human with another beautiful human of the opposite gender.
Love is messy and chaotic, even more so in space.
This book is progressive regarding gender, sexuality and science. There are bisexual and genderfluid characters, with the overarching moral of the story being tolerance and understanding. Kindness, forgiveness and being open to other ways of thinking are shown to create a better universe. The characters do not get out of bad situations by being as violent as the aggressors, but by using their intellect and trusting one another. The Long Way has excellent moral messages for young people and is not too violent or sexually explicit for teen readers.
Critics of this book lament that it is slow and nothing really happens. Plot-wise there are a few challenges scattered throughout the protagonists’ journey through space, but nothing edge-of-your-seat until close to the end. The real drama comes from the characters facing their own personal problems and limits. In this way, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet is a lot like real life, only with the cool backdrop of space.
Have you read The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet? If so, what did you think? Thank you for sticking with me until the end of this review!
I hope you are all having a wonderful week, both inside books and out of them.
Let me share my latest reads with you…
FYI – WWW Wednesday was created by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. If you would like to participate, simply answer the questions below and link back to Sam’s site.
What are you currently reading?
Tomorrow is the story of a dog who is granted an extraordinarily long life and his quest to find his alchemist master. It is full of danger, intrigue and beautifully described locations.
What is it about animal protagonists that make them much more endearing than human ones? 🙂
What did you recently finish reading?
The Loneliest Girl in the Universe starts off as a light sci-fi romance, but slowly becomes a horror/thriller. It is short, but the tension is excellent.
The main character Romy is well-fleshed out as a sweet, book smart, yet naive teenager left alone on a spaceship after a series of tragedies.
I have been so lucky this past week to finish off some amazing books! After finally finishing The Last Namsara – which was excellent – I was given a copy of Stalking Jack the Ripper , which some of you know has been on my TBR forever.It did not disappoint. In fact I am planning on reading it again soon at more relaxed pace – my first read through was a little rushed.
FYI – WWW Wednesday was created by Sam over at Taking on a World of Words. If you would like to participate, simply answer the questions below and link back to Sam’s site.
What are you currently reading?
I was curious about the hype surrounding this Six of Crows and so far it is entertaining. I love how the squad works well together, but still clash at the same time. I can see why people ship Kaz and Inej, but I am not feeling Nina and Matthias.
What did you recently finish reading?
The Last Namsara was good, but completely overshadowed by the YA masterpiece that was Stalking Jack the Ripper. Audrey was the perfect heroine, incredibly smart and brave, but with the realistic faults of someone of her age and class. Thomas Cresswell was perfectly imperfect and my new literary crush (after Rhys of course).
What do you think you’ll read next?
Suicide Club because it looks like an intriguing dystopian (and it is a library loan so must go back soon).
Hunting Prince Dracula because I HAVE to know what happens to Audrey and Thomas in Romania.
Tower of Dawn because I started it ages ago and although it is not grabbing me I would like to read Kingdom of Ash soon, so I think I will have to finish it.
Thank you for reading my WWW Wednesday! Feel free to leave a link to yours in the comments, I would love to read it!
You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring. The first lesson is to make yourself strong.
After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
My Thoughts
I have always found Holly Black to be polarising author. Readers I have spoken to either love or hate her interpretation of the Fae. For many The Cruel Prince was a step to far in the way that Cardan treated Jude and the romantic tension between them towards the end of the novel was unrealistic. Cardan and his friends were always out of terrorise her and make her feel out of place in the Fae world. He terrorises her because he secretly wants her? Uhm no, just no…
Personally I also find Black’s version of the Fae too dark, but I love her characters and how she paces her novels. I have never been bored reading Holly Black… a little appalled, yes… but never bored.
The Wicked King continues Jude and Cardan’s romance, but now they are in a situation where they must rely on each other and the budding sexual tension between them is more believable. Cardan is Jude’s puppet king and the success of his reign is crucial to her plans. They still despise each other (at least in the beginning), but those feelings change slowly as the novel progresses.
I enjoyed Cardan’s development over the course of the story, as he grows into his new role as king and matures from the temperamental prince he was in the first book. As a love interest he is still not quite there yet though. He is still the kind of guy that tell your single friends to avoid, because that relationship would be way too toxic…
Jude continues to hold her own against those who would exploit or destroy her and there are many who try. As a character Jude is always interesting to read about, as she is harder and more ruthless than the majority of female heroines in young adult fiction.
The periphery characters continue to be largely unlikable. Taryn is as useless and scheming as ever and Locke is despicable. Even Jude’s sister Vivienne is annoying in this book. Jude’s father Madoc at least has some depth with the way he balances his scheming with his love for his adopted daughter.
The villains, both known and unexpected dance around the periphery, inserting themselves as the story demands to provide mayhem and make those of us who prefer lighter Fae stories uncomfortable. The constant threats to Cardan’s rule and therefore Jude’s power, drive the story and make for an entertaining read.
On the whole I enjoyed The Wicked King for it’s characters and fast-paced drama. The darker edge to Holly Black’s writing means that I will not be racing out to buy the third book when it is released, but it is definitely on my TBR.
This week’s topic Books I LOVED with Fewer than 2,000 Ratings on Goodreads was one of the most difficult Top Ten Tuesday’s I have attempted, but I am glad to be able to share this list with you, as it features some of my favourite books.
Recommended for fans of Uprooted and A Thousand Nights. Suited to those who like fairytale retellings where the romance is a subplot and not the driver of the story.
Sam's life in books 