Dump a book!

I used to give up on reading books all of the time, but I found that once I had given up on a book, I was never willing to go back and have another try. So naturally when my interest in John Grisham's 'The Appeal' dwindled, I was determined to keep on with it and get to the end.

However, I found that after 120 pages I did not look forward to picking up the book at lunch time out in the garden with the dogs, and, honestly, really didn't care about the outcome of the book (except on moral grounds!).

I have read Grisham before ('The Client' and 'The Rainmaker') and his writing style was gripping and I felt for the characters. However, this book just really did not do it for me, so I have decided to give up on it - which I do feel a little guilty for.

I have decided now that unless it is a classic or a 'must read' book, it definitely makes more sense to dump a book rather than continue in an indifferent relationship with it (corny, I know!)

Since giving up on this book a few days ago I have moved on to 'A Discovery of Witches' by Deborah Harkness, which is AMAZING... I look forward to reading it, and blogging about it very soon!

<a href="http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/12618015/?claim=2gubf4xq95q">Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

The Kingmaker's Daughter by Phillipa Gregory (and other Cousin's War books!)

Ok, so Phillipa Gregory is a wonderful writer. One of my A Level English Lit teachers really wasn't a fan and told me I should move onto more literary historic fiction like Jean Plaidy (I haven't got around to it yet...). But I still think that Phillipa's books are fabulous!

The Kingmaker's Daughter is the third of 5 in the Cousin's War series of books all about the Plantagenets, the royal family before the Tudors, and the key female 'leaders' of their reign. I had been wanting to read this series for a while, but then I saw a trailer for the BBC drama so decided that I really needed to read 'The White Queen' before it came on TV; thankfully my sister had given it to me a year or so previously, so it was already sitting, waiting on my bookshelf. It read fantastically well and was so compelling. I really love the way that Gregory uses real events and uses both historical resources and a little artistic licence to make a novel out of something real. True to expectations; the two are practically disentangleable (apart from points she makes in her afterword of course).

Obviously, as a woman herself, and a historian with such particular interest in strong women at that time of English History, her books were historically believable. What I am finding so incredible about reading the series is how they all tell the same story, yet reading them all is not repetitive or boring. Each novel of the series (that I have read so far...) are based around the same main events *SPOILERS* the overthrow of various kings, the birth of babies, exiles, battles etc. But what Gregory does so well is starting and ending each novel at the point which is relevant for each protaginist. She also does well to include different historic viewpoints about the Plantagenets through her different lead females; for example the mystery of the boys in the tower, where Gregory presents the various historical views as rumours from different sides (or indeed, the viewpoints come from these rumours... who can be sure?!)

So, having read books 1-3 and owning book 4, I imagine I will be reading The Lady of the Rivers some time soon, and very much look forward to it. Then all that remains is to treat myself to The White Princess (book 5).

This didn't turn out so much to be about The Kingmaker's Daughter, but rather the series and Gregory's accuracies, but oh well! Enjoy.

Happy Reading :)

Finishing the final book in the series

As promised, I am blogging about this. It will probably be a short one and I'm not going to go over this post because I have SO much uni work going on at the moment, but I am trying to blog regularly because... well just to do something else I guess!

When I said that I would be blogging about finishing that final book in a series, I mainly had in mind the book 'The Traitor Queen' by Trudi Canavan (http://www.trudicanavan.com/books/), which is not only the end of a trilogy,  but the end of a sequel trilogy. So after 5 other books set in this world, with the same family as the core protagonists, I was massively upset that it had to end, especially when Trudi announced that there would be no more novels set in the fantasy land of Kyralia.

BUT I had that conflict inside me: read the book quickly to find out how the characters pan out and where they end up, who wins, who dies, VS no! read it slowly then it won't end.

Given that I read it after my January exams, as a reward for my hard work and lack of reading at easter, I ended up reading it ridiculously quickly... and I was sad, but at the same time it is an incredible experience. With any good book I feel like I'm 'consuming' the whole world its set in at an alarming rate, but with the end book of a series, it always gets taken to a whole new level.

I wonder if I'm the only one who reads the closing part of a series much faster than the other parts....?

Happy reading
Grace

Just a quick one

I just wanted to take a moment to share a wonderful quote from tumblr

“Some books are so familiar that reading them is like returning home again.”

—	Jo March, Little Women

Books, series, worlds, authors. Familiarity is just as good as pushing yourself into a new world.

Happy reading,
I'm back when I get around to finishing my book!
Grace xxx

Apologies for my absence!

Hello all (or any...),

I have been away from blogging for a long time, so I figured it was time to come back to give me something outside of Uni work to get on with!

Hopefully coming soon:

• Why deviating from your standard genres can be a valuable literate experience
• Finishing the final book in the series
• Starting the first book in the series (!)
• My top authors and books (various genres)

So that's what you have to look forward to over the next few months as I struggle along with Year One, Semester Two of Geography here at Hull Uni!

Much love and happy reading,

No place better to get lost than in a book.

Grace xx

The Inevitability of a Romantic Link

I don't think that I have ever read a book where there has not been any form of romantic or sexual attraction between characters.

This begs the question as to if this is deemed a necessity by authors and readers alike. Do authors just think readers want a bit of the romance factor? Is it something so fundamental to human beings that we can't prevent it seeping into our literature?

Recently I read an historical thriller novel where a doctor becomes attached to a family who own a declining estate. It is clear from the start that he will eventually pursue or confront romantic interest from the daughter, or vice-versa. However, as the book progressed it seemed promising that their relationship was more friendly than romantic. Then just as I was thinking: "finally, something different" he kissed her.

Where literature is simply a romance, it is of course expected of it, the reader is reading the novel for the indulgence of a fairy tale romance (Take 'Pride and Prejudice', for example). Romance however, seems to penetrate almost every genre and style of writing, almost to the extent of its own!

As a writer, and a teenager, I myself fall party to this trap of romance. Sometimes it is hard to prevent your characters from falling in love. And once the plot line has begun, it is stuck like super glue!

I would argue then, that the answer to both of my questions is a YES. However, to the latter, above the former. Sometimes the writers just can't help it. Characters have hearts and minds of their own.

Kindle vs The Real Thing

I won't pretend to be an expert on e-book readers, and I only have limited knowledge of the Kindle, but from my experience, it's is brilliant.

When the idea first came about, naturally I was dismayed. As someone who loves to be curled up with a book and feel the paper and even, yes, the smell of it, I don't much like the idea of someone making books electronic.

However, when you actually get a Kindle, your view changes rapidly. I have a Kindle Wi-Fi 6" which I got for Christmas 2011. This is brilliant value for money and the best Kindle if you want to feel it out and get to know it without spending a 'small fortune' on the newer Touch or the (older but still sold) Kindle Keyboard Wifi/3G. Though the Touch has enhanced features such as MP3 capabilities. It also one-ups the Kindle Wi-Fi in that when you are typing (either in search or to add notes) you can use the touch screen, whereas the WiFi model you have to use a 5-way square cursor style button which can get irritating when typing extended amounts of text. The obvious advantages of the most expensive Kindle (Keyboard 3G) are the keyboard (excellent for literature students or others taking copious amounts of notes) and the advantage of being able to download books on the move.

The Kindle is also brilliant for the Travellers out there. You can load it up with Thousands of books and save all that space in the suitcase! (I speak as someone that takes 5-7 books for a week's holiday!). The fact it's lightweight, discreet and designed for reading in the sun means its perfect for taking to the beach, or in fact, anywhere. It barely takes up any room and if you're worried about scratches there are so many different cases you can get for it: Some even have lights.

The reading and buying experience on the Kindle itself if brilliant. The only one time you can't read the screen is when you have direct glare on the screen and even then it only blocks a word or two. Also, you can use both hands for something else while reading (for me its eating!). This may sound silly but in all honesty, how many times have you sat there eating cereal and trying to prop the book open with your elbow?! Purchasing of books is so simple and easy! Just turn on the wifi and search through the store, or even buy via your laptop on the usual Amazon site and you can get the book delivered to your Kindle. Money savings vary greatly from book to book. Most of the Classics are free, so if you are a fan of Austen and the Bronte's, it's definitely worth a go. Often books in a series offer massive savings on the Kindle, especially if you buy it as a series in one e-book as opposed to several separate ones, sometimes saving up to 70%!

Aside from all of that, 'The Real Thing' (books; yes they still exist!) is still brilliant, and if you aren't a massive reader, it is worth sticking with the good ol' Paperback, or Hardback if you prefer. I still read mainly paperbacks and still love buying new ones.