A Thousand Splendid Suns- Khaled Hosseini

Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover
Published: May 22, 2007
372 pages
Goodreads page

Propelled by the same superb instinct for storytelling that made The Kite Runner a beloved classic, A Thousand Splendid Suns is at once an incredible chronicle of thirty years of Afghan history and a deeply moving story of family, friendship, faith, and the salvation to be found in love.

Born a generation apart and with very different ideas about love and family, Mariam and Laila are two women brought jarringly together by war, by loss and by fate. As they endure the ever escalating dangers around them—in their home as well as in the streets of Kabul—they come to form a bond that makes them both sisters and mother-daughter to each other, and that will ultimately alter the course not just of their own lives but of the next generation. With heart-wrenching power and suspense, Hosseini shows how a woman’s love for her family can move her to shocking and heroic acts of self-sacrifice, and that in the end it is love, or even the memory of love, that is often the key to survival.

This book has sparked a fascination in me of the middle eastern culture. I want to learn more about it. I feel so deeply for the women and all the things they have had to deal with.

The things the two women in this book experience is really terrible. Reading their journey and seeing their strength was really beautiful.

This was truly an amazing story, and while it was fiction it was based around real events and the real culture in Afghanistan.

I definitely recommend this book to everyone!

*****

Five stars

Landline - Rainbow Rowell

Publisher: St Martins Press
Published: July 8th 2014
310 pages
Goodreads page

Georgie McCool knows her marriage is in trouble. That it’s been in trouble for a long time. She still loves her husband, Neal, and Neal still loves her, deeply — but that almost seems beside the point now.

Maybe that was always beside the point.

Two days before they’re supposed to visit Neal’s family in Omaha for Christmas, Georgie tells Neal that she can’t go. She’s a TV writer, and something’s come up on her show; she has to stay in Los Angeles. She knows that Neal will be upset with her — Neal is always a little upset with Georgie — but she doesn’t expect to him to pack up the kids and go home without her.

When her husband and the kids leave for the airport, Georgie wonders if she’s finally done it. If she’s ruined everything.

That night, Georgie discovers a way to communicate with Neal in the past. It’s not time travel, not exactly, but she feels like she’s been given an opportunity to fix her marriage before it starts . . .

Is that what she’s supposed to do?

Or would Georgie and Neal be better off if their marriage never happened?

I'm not really sure how to start off this review. I finished this book quite a few days ago and I'm still unsure how i feel about it.
I could definitely relate to the main character being a mum but i also felt that i could really relate to Neal and his life as a stay at home dad. Aside from me being female and him male i felt that we had so much in common.

I'm not exactly sure i was into the whole time travelling phone thing which is why its so hard to review because that's basically what the whole book is about.
Of course i enjoyed Rainbow Rowells writing style, she definitely has a captivating way with words and i am guaranteed to read anything she writes.
I will have to say this is my least favourite of her books.

I gave it the four star rating because i was unsure and also because i couldn't go less because its Rainbow Rowell and i love her writing, but for the story line its probably only a three star.

So that was a terrible review but basically is you haven't read Rainbow Rowell don't start with this one and if you have read her other books this is worth reading but probably wont be as good as what you have read by her.

****
Four Stars

The Other Boleyn Girl- Philippa Gregory

Publisher: Touchstone

Published: May 21st 2003

664 pages

Goodreads Page

 

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realises just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king and take fate into her own hands.

A rich and compelling novel of love, sex, ambition, and intrigue, The Other Boleyn Girl introduces a woman of extraordinary determination and desire who lived at the heart of the most exciting and glamourous court in Europe and survived by following her heart

This book is #2 in the Tudor Court series that focuses on Mary Boleyn who was one of King Henry's mistressess. It basically follows her life through the rise and fall of power in the days of the Tudor court.

This book took me a long time to get through, though that wasnt at all because i wasnt enjoying it. In fact i think it may have brought me to the end of my reading slump (finally!!). I enjoy every moment of Philippa Gregorys's books and this one was no different. They way she really paints a picture of this time is amazing, you really feel like your there and you go on such an interesting journey through history.

I found Mary Boleyn's story so fascinating. We also get to see the story of her brother and her sister through her eyes and they also lived captivating lives. The things people went through andd experienced in those times is unbelievable and i honestly just love reading about it.

If you are interested in historical fiction and havent checked out Philippa Gregory's books yet i highly reccomend you do!

*****

Five stars

 

 

Hi guys!

Sorry I've been M.I.A for so long. I know i keep saying I'm going to get back into regular posting and i want to! i do but i am honestly in a bit of a reading slump right now that I'm struggling to get out of.
I'm hoping to get back into it but i don't want to make any promises.

I'm also hoping to start posting regularly on my lifestyle blog so check that out to see whats happening in life, and what I'm enjoying.

I'm currently half way through two books, the first being The night circus by Erin Morgenstern, which i am enjoying but honestly struggling to get through, I've been reading this for about two months. I don't think its necessarily the books fault that I'm struggling though its just the fact that I'm in this slump.

The second book I'm in the middle of is Its not summer without you by Jenny Han. I thought a good contemporary would kick me out of this slump but whilst i did manage to get through The summer i turned pretty at a reasonable pace, I'm going a lot slower through this one. That's not to say I'm not enjoying it but that slump just keeps getting me and i find myself gravitating towards other things, TV being the main culprit.

So lets all cross our fingers that this slump will pack its bags and move on but until then i will post when i can.

What have you been reading? And how do you get out of a slump?

check out my lifestyle blog for more of me!

Bye Guys!

Poison Study- Maria V Snyder

Publisher: Mira
Published: March 1, 2007
412 pages
Goodreads page

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear..

I am somewhat undecided on my opinion of this book. Whilst the story line was interesting and the world had potential i found myself unattached to the characters.
The writing style is kind of simplistic to me, which is not necessarily a bad thing but i think when it comes to fantasy you need quite a bit of detail to really immerse yourself into the world.
I liked the magical elements and i found the poisons interesting, but i think it just needed something more.

I anticipated the 'twist' from the very beginning and i think most people would see it as quite obvious, although in the characters position i no doubt would have done the same thing. Hopefully for those who have read it you know what I'm talking about.

I was very interested in Yelena's back story and would love more details, which hopefully the next book provides.

I will be continuing with the series i just hope we get a bit more from the rest of the books.

Overall it didn't wow me but it was intriguing enough to keep me reading.

***
Three and a half stars

Im alive!

Hey guys sorry I've been gone so long.

Ive have been quite busy planning my trip to New Zealand next month and other family commitments that i honestly just haven't had the time to read (or blog). Its been quite a busy start to the year with my brother getting married ( i was the photographer) and trying to get my business going its just been very hectic. i haven't completely stopped reading and since I've been gone i have read a few which i will update you on below.

Hopefully once i get back from New Zealand at the beginning of next month i can get myself back into a blogging schedule, because i miss it and do enjoy it a lot.

But today I'm just going to catch you up on what I've been reading..

I am currently reading Ignite me by Tahereh Mafi and really loving it!

and these are the books I've read since my last review:

Frankenstein- Mary Shelley

***

Three stars

Sweet tooth Vol 1 Out of the woods- Jeff Lemire

****

Four stars

The walking dead Vol 2 Miles behind us - Robert Kirkman, Charlie Adlard

*****

Five stars

The fellowship of the ring- J R R Tolkein

****

Four stars

The White Princess- Philippa Gregory

*****

Five stars

On the jellicoe road - Melina Marchetta

***

Three stars

A clash of kings - George R R Martin

****

Four stars

Shatter me- Tahereh Mafi

****

Four stars

The constant princess- Philippa Gregory

*****

Five stars

Unravel me- Tahereh Mafi

****

Four stars

Death note Black edition Vol 1 -  Tsugumi Ohba

*****

Five stars

Star wars A new hope- George Lucas

****

Four stars

The undomestic goddess - Sophie Kinsella

***

Three stars

Hopefully you'll be seeing more from me soon

Thanks for reading!

Bleeding Violet- Dia Reeves

Publisher: Simone Pulse
Published: Jan 5, 2010
454 Pages
Goodreads page

Love can be a dangerous thing...

Hanna simply wants to be loved. With a head plagued by hallucinations, a medicine cabinet full of pills, and a closet stuffed with frilly, violet dresses, Hanna’s tired of being the outcast, the weird girl, the freak. So she runs away to Portero, Texas in search of a new home.

But Portero is a stranger town than Hanna expects. As she tries to make a place for herself, she discovers dark secrets that would terrify any normal soul. Good thing for Hanna, she’s far from normal. As this crazy girl meets an even crazier town, only two things are certain: Anything can happen and no one is safe

This was definitely one of the strangest books Ive read in a long time.
Hanna is a pretty messed up character but it was pretty interesting to see into her mind. She kind of freaked me out a little and i wouldn't want to come across her in real life.
I didn't think much of the town, the story as a whole seemed like a bunch of random ideas thrown together and it didn't work as well as the author intended i think.
It was a decent read but i just found it a little all over the place for my liking.

***
Three stars