07.03.08

Bag of Bones - Stephen King - My review

Posted in Book review, Books tagged , , , at 4:32 pm by Nici

Synopsis from Amazon:
When Mike Noonan’s wife dies, he is drawn to their summer home in the town of Sara Laughs. He finds the town in the grip of millionaire Max Devore, who is hell-bent on getting custody of his deceased son’s child. Kyra and her mother turn to Mike for help, but there are sinister forces in their way.

My thoughts:

I finished Bag of Bones last night and really really enjoyed it.

It was a bit of a slow burner in the begining but I stuck with it and glad I did. A good ghost story which scared me in places. One big twist in it that I really was not expecting and it really quite upset me!

This book to me seemed different to other Stephen King books I have read; I found this one an easier read than some of his others and the romantic element made a nice change.

The characters were well written especially little Kyra, who you couldn’t help but fall in love with! :)

I give this book an 8 ½ out of 10, it would have been higher if the book had held my attention better in the begining.

06.18.08

A piece of cake - Cupcake Brown

Posted in Book review, Books tagged , , , at 7:26 pm by Nici

My thoughts:
Well the one word that comes to mind is ‘WOW’. I finished all 540 pages in under four days which for me is quick! I normally don’t like this type of book as I just cannot read about sexual abuse in children and luckily although there was some in this book it was written about very well and not in too much detail. The book is mainly about Cupcake’s battle with every drug going. Also as the book was set in the ghettos of America it is just so different to anything I have ever known.

A truly inspiring book but I can’t say too much about it as I wouldn’t want to ruin it for anyone else. I would definately recommend this to everyone to give it a go.

06.08.08

Before the Storm - Judith Lennox - my review

Posted in Book review, Books tagged , , , at 8:51 pm by Nici

Synopsis from Amazon:
A gripping multi-generational family drama set in London and Cornwall, from 1908 until the 1950s.On an autumn day in 1909 wealthyyoungRichard Finborough catches sight of twenty-year-old Isabel Zeale at the harbour at Lynmouth in Devon. Her beautycaptivates him. Aware of shameful secrets in her past, Isabel has no intention of letting anyone into her life, but Richard’spersistence and ardour eventually win himher trust- and her hand in marriage. The decades pass and Isabel and Richard raise a family through the turbulent times of the First World War and the 1920s. As her children reach adulthood, Isabel is convinced her secret is safe - until an old acquaintance emerges from the shadows, turning her world upside down. To protect the happiness of those she loves most, Isabel must find the courage to confront what came before, and live with the consequences!
My thoughts:
I have just this second finished this book and thought it was brilliant!

Set during World War 1 and 2, the book tells the tale of a family being torn about in what was a very difficult time in history. The characters were all very well written and the description of the wars particually the 2nd World War were excellently written. It gave you a feeling of what it would have been like living in London during the Blitz. The hardship, the bombings, the every day jobs all told with a sense of you were really there. But it wasn’t all doom and gloom, there were fun times and the good old british spirit was shown well. The book had a few twists and turns, some of which I wouldn’t have guessed were coming and overall a good story set in a time of great sadness and uncertainty.

I would definately recommend this book and will be looking out for more of Judith Lennox’s work.

05.22.08

The Memory Keepers Daughter - Kim Edwards - My review

Posted in Book review, Books tagged , , , at 6:10 pm by Nici

It should have been an ordinary birth, the start of an ordinary happy family. But the night Dr David Henry delivers his wife’s twins is a night that will haunt five lives forever.

For though David’s son is a healthy boy, his daughter has Downs Syndrome. And, in a shocking act of betrayal whose consequences only time will reveal, he tells his wife their daughter died while secretly entrusting her care to a nurse.

As grief quietly tears apart Davd’s family, so a little girl must make her own way in the world the best she can.

My thoughts:

I have had to give this review a lot of thought as this book deserves the very best. This is a very moving story which is I think tragic yet not depressing. Phoebe, the daughter is such a beautiful character who I found inspiring and was written in such a way that the innocence of Downs Syndrome was made very believable in this book.

Each of the characters had their own traits both good and bad and you couldn’t help but feel sorrow for the unfairness of their lives. I was pulled in from page one and would highly recommend this book and give it a 10/10.

04.19.08

Ken Follett - The Pillars of the Earth

Posted in Book review, Books tagged , , , at 12:41 pm by Nici

Synopsis from Amazon:

“The Pillars of the Earth” tells the story of Philip, prior of Kingsbridge, a devout and resourceful monk driven to build the greatest Gothic cathedral the world has known; of Tom, the mason who becomes his architect - a man divided in his soul; of the beautiful, elusive Lady Aliena, haunted by a secret shame; and of a struggle between good and evil that will turn church against state, and brother against brother. A spellbinding epic tale of ambition, anarchy, and absolute power set against the sprawling medieval canvas of twelfth-century England, this is Ken Follett’s historical masterpiece.

My thoughts:

What a wonderful book!

Set in the twelfth century, Ken Follett tells what it would have been like to live in this time. The poverty, the living accomodations, the fighting were all told in great detail.

The characters were brilliantly written and the book flowed from one character to another very well. Some of the characters you couldn’t help but love but some, including one in particular was pure evil and another was very cunning in the worse possible ways.

Even though this book was a mammouth 1,075 pages long, I was still turning the pages as if it had only just begun. Ken Follett keeps your attention right to the last page and to be honest I didn’t want this book to end. I am going to miss it!

10/10

04.11.08

BCF Reviewers - Love books? Review books!

Posted in Book review, Books tagged , , at 6:06 pm by Nici

As of today I am now a Reviewer for the BCF Review website found here

I am very excited as I am passionate about my books and to review books is just great!

So if you should have stumbled across my blog and would like me or any of the other reviewers to review your book, drop us a line! :)

03.18.08

Slash - my review

Posted in Book review, Books tagged , , , , at 5:06 pm by Nici

slash.jpg

I don’t normally write reviews but this book has had such an effect on me that I wanted to share my thoughts on it.

The first 100 pages are about Slash’s childhood, his upbringing and his family life which ultimately influenced his decision to become a musician but also contributed to his drug taking.

I found the first 100 pages a bit hard going, not because I didn’t enjoy them but because I wanted to get to the Guns n’ Roses days.

The next 200 pages or so are about Slash’s continuing battle with heroin addiction during Guns n’ Roses early days. There are some particularly harrowing moments including one incident where Slash was hallucinating and was running through a hotel complex naked as he thought demons were chasing him. After several failed attempts Slash finally beat his heroin addiction but unfortunately replaced it with alcohol.

It was lovely to read about how he and Perla met and their children.

Since reading this book I have found myself listening to all of the Guns n’ Roses albums again, watching their videos, looking at the CD covers and finding pictures of Slash as I now know what was going on in their lives at the time that they were recorded/taken.

I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book even though at times it was quite dark.

9/10