Synopsis:

High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the death of his mother, with only the books on his shelf for company. But those books have begun to whisper to him in the darkness. Angry and alone, he takes refuge in his imagination and soon finds that reality and fantasy have begun to meld. While his family falls apart around him, David is violently propelled into a world that is a strange reflection of his own — populated by heroes and monsters and ruled by a faded king who keeps his secrets in a mysterious book, The Book of Lost Things

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this, but in truth: I loved it. John Connolly has played with the idea of fairy tales and children’s nightmares – he has taken them and made them into an adventure. The story centres around David, a boy whose life changes when his mother dies. His father re-marries and they move to the country. There David finds himself spending most of his time in the attic surrounded by old books. World War 2 is taking place, and one night, having thought he had heard his mother calling him David goes into the garden, just as a German bomber crash lands. David finds himself transported into another world. Here he faces wolves that have started to morph into men, monsters and Crooked Man.

I loved what Connolly did with this. The wolves, or Loups, came out of the story of Little Red Riding Hood, the monster which followed David came from his nightmares and the enchantress in the tower came from Rapunzel. Connolly has taken these childhood fairy tales and made them into violent, adult stories, and battles which David has to face. The worst for me was the Crooked Man, who steals children to expand his life. The descriptions of his actions and his torture chambers were horrific and not for the faint hearted.

I wouldn’t call this book scary but it is intense and some of the things David and his friends fight are quite chilling. This is quite violent and graphic, but so readable. I didn’t want to put this down, I was engrossed. I wanted to know what David would have to battle, what happened to the king and how the story would end. This book was exciting and full of adventure. There was not a dull moment in this book.

I loved the characters Connolly created and how they evolved. At first I felt empathy for David, then I was anxious for his welfare, and by the end I was confident in him and happily cheering him on. He matured and became fearless, and I liked how things worked out for him. The men who helped David were courageous and fun to read. I loved the dwarfs the most. They are not like they are in Snow White – and neither is she in this book. All I could do was laugh at the situation and their attitudes – they were very funny!

There was nothing to dislike about this book. I can easily give it 5/5. I loved it

This is a meme hosted by The Story Siren. So here is what entered my home this week:

From The Library

Kate Harrison: Old School Ties – chick-lit
Alison Weir: Innocent Traitor - historical fiction
Cora Harrison – Michaelmas Tribute - historical crime

Tracy Chevalier: Remarkable Creatures – historical fiction
Lynsay Sands: Bites – vampire thriller
Eshkol Nevo: World Cup Wishes – contemporary fiction

Sue Miller: The Senator’s Wife – TV Book Club Recommendation

Downloaded

Susan Coolidge: What Katy Did – classic
Voltaire: Candide – classic

I sadly didn’t get anything in the post this week, but a nice little haul there I think; I’m happy!

Synopsis:

As far as Detective Inspector Steve Madden is concerned, the dead don’t speak to anyone. But old childhood memories are stirred when psychic Lavinia Roberts tells him that one of her clients is about to become a killer. When Roberts herself is struck down, Madden is forced to ask the question: did she foresee her own horrific death? Then the body of a child is found, and everything points towards a ritual murder by the same man. Suddenly, Brighton is immersed in a hunt for a serial killer who has no boundaries in who, or how, he slays.

I have decided to put this down because I was only reading this for my dissertation – and I do have some great quotes to use and because there is going to be a child’s death – and I don’t like that kind of thing. The story is the second in the Detective Madden series – the first is Savage Tide. It was a slow read but not too dull. I am only putting this aside because of the child’s death.

Yes, it is true, I went to the library AGAIN this week! I just love it there….!

So here is what I took out this time:

Tracy Chevalier: Remarkable Creatures – historical fiction
Lynsay Sands: Bites – vampire thriller
Eshkol Nevo: World Cup Wishes – contemporary fiction

So now my shelf looks like this: (although two books are missing)

I think I’m in love

Anyway, I have finished The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, so that is in a bag ready to go back to the library and my book for the lounge (yes I have different books in different rooms!) is now True Believer by Nicholas Sparks:

Go on, back your local library!

Waterstones Synopsis:

When she was 15, Harper Connelly was struck by a bolt of lightning, which left her with a spiderweb of red over her body, headaches, and episodes of weakness. Sometimes her right hand shakes. And she can find dead people. It’s taken a while, but at last Harper’s pretty happy with her life: she’s making a living, using her unique talent to help people, and she’s got a lover – her stepbrother Tolliver. That creeps some people out, but though they grew up together, and got each other through the real bad times – their parents’ drug-use, the abuse, the disappearance of Harper’s elder sister Cameron – they’re not blood relatives. Then Tolliver’s dad arrives on the scene, seeking forgiveness for the sins of their youth, and the police get a tip-off that after all these years, Cameron’s been spotted in a mall. With all this going on Harper realises life is getting a little complicated, but she doesn’t expect those complications to include Tolliver getting shot, or watching a cop die taking a bullet for her. Harper can find dead people, but now it’s clear someone wants her dead …

This is the fourth book in Charlaine Harris’ Harper Connelly Series. This book is just as good as the other three, with Harper starting the book by finding a dead body. However, what she uncovers makes some very unhappy. This book is slightly different from the previous novels because there is more emphasis on her family and her childhood. A large chunk of this book focuses on her search for her missing sister Cameron and with dealing with issues in her past.

Like with the previous novels I was gripped from the beginning and thoroughly enjoyed this book. It was not my favourite but that is because I would have liked more focus on her occupation. That said, the mystery surrounding those who wanted her dead did make a good read and there was no lack of action in the book. There were a couple of twists, one I saw coming, the other I did not.

As ever I liked Harper and I thought she grew up a lot in this book. She came to some realisations concerning family and her little sisters which showed a lot of maturity. I didn’t like her new relationship with Tolliver – I preferred them as brother and sister; but everything else I liked reading about.

This is fast-paced and action packed. There are mysteries and serious issues well dealt with in my opinion. The story seems to be concluded in this book, but hopefully Harris will write more. I love this series and highly recommend it. This is well worth reading.

4/5

Waterstone’s Synopsis:

Cass Bainbridge is being stalked. New job, new home, new life. Cass has moved to Brighton to start over as a lecturer at the university. But she’s already acquired some unwanted baggage. Someone’s watching her & they’ve even taken photos. She’s being followed, too. And then there are the anonymous and threatening emails she’s receiving. With an unknown assailant attacking students on campus, Cass fears for her life. Is she to be the next random victim? Or is there a more sinister reason she’s been targeted?

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book, but I really enjoyed it. Throughout the book you learn about Cass and Beth, a needy student looking for comfort in Cass. Beth seems to be everywhere, but with life changing and getting out of control she offers a distraction for Cass. But there is something sinister going on; and Alec the difficult student seems to be making Cass’ life even more difficult.

I would categorise this as a psychological thriller. There was suspense, twists and revelations. I enjoyed the book right from the beginning and was hooked right up until the ending. I was quite surprised with the outcome – I had jumped to a different outcome altogether. The twist at the end and the revelation made the book very good.

I liked Cass. I felt empathy for her and got freaked out when she did. Gardner wrote great characters. Some bugged me, some weirded me out, but all of them provoked a reaction. She also wrote a good story. I felt tense when I was suppose to and found myself guessing the ending.

This was not a hard read, it didn’t take me long to get through it, and I really enjoyed it. I decided to read this for my dissertation and I am pleased with that decision. If you are into thrillers and mysteries, this book is for you.

4/5