Wednesday 17 June 2015

Waaaaaaaaaaaaa!

That thing!!
 That thing where you have been really enjoying a book: the plot, the lyrical prose, the cute dialogue. All of it.
 And then the writer knackers it in the last page and a half. Really, the last page and half.

Mentioning no names, because spoliers, the plot is split between two main characters 50%/50%.
One has their story wrapped up with due attention and bliss. The other, who we are rooting for at least as much, gets their's wrapped up, in one paragraph, yes ONE paragraph. Not even in their own right, but seen through the eyes of the other MC.
!!!!! 
They deserved soooo much more than that. 
Where was the editor, to say "Whoa there, NO." ?
Left me speechless and unable to pick up another book for a couple of days. 

That. Just needed to share my disappointment. Thank you.

Monday 1 June 2015

*Cue fanfare* My Summer '15 TBR Pile

Tis another Women’s Fiction heavy pile, but I am finding it really useful with my own project so you’ll have to allow for that. There are still a couple of YAs in there, and male authors are represented this time, (hurrah!). Not sure where all the crime went on this occasion.  The pile looks like this:


You had me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane (Women’s Fiction)
I Heart Vegas by Lindsey Kelk (Women’s)
It’s Not Me It’s You by Mhairi McFarlane (Women’s)
I’ll give you the sun by Jandy Nelson (YA)
The Good, the Bad and the Dumped by Jenny Colgan (Women’s)
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan (Women’s)
Fairytale of New York by Miranda Dickinson (Women’s)
Here come the girls by Milly Johnson (Women’s)
The Cardturner by Louis Sachar (MG)
Lobsters by Tom Ellen & Lucy Ivison (YA)
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simison (Not sure yet)


McFarlane,Colgan and Kelk – they are my Sensei. 
Dickinson and Johnson I haven’t read before but have heard a lot about, so we’ll see. 
Louis Sachar – well, Holes. Enough said. (If you have a child (either flavour) between 8 and 12, and they haven’t read Holes, you need to sort it. Sublime plotting.)
Lobsters I have heard sooooo much about and I finally got hold of a copy, so I can’t wait for that, while I have been des-per-ately waiting for Jandy Nelson’s follow up to The sky is everywhere since closing the covers on that gorgeous gorgeous story. (I book-crushed about it here.)
The Rosie Project is a complete wildcard, found in a charity shop and feels from the blurb like it would be considered Women's Fiction had it not been penned by a man. I'll let you know what it turned out to be in the Gut Reactions at the end of August. In the meantime let's ponder the coincidence of having TWO books in one pile that have a lobster on the front cover. What are the chances..? Something might be afoot.... 

 What are you reading this summer?