2021/07/30
2021/07/29
BOOK HAUL:
JULY
S P O N S O R E D : T W O B O O K S S E N T B Y P U B L I S H E R S
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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August is just around the corner, and you know what that means? Not only is it time for another book haul, we're also inching closer and closer to the best season of the year: fall!
I'm a little over summer to be honest; July brought a lot of heat and sweat, but luckily also a bit of rain (and thunder, which I love)! I'm looking forward to things cooling off now though, and getting back into a routine.
Anyways, let me show you the books I got this month (although to be fair, these are not all the books I got in July; I did another book haul earlier this month which you can find here).
( a f f i l i a t e l i n k s + b o o k s m a r k e d * s e n t b y p u b l i s h e r )
I hope you've all had a good month!
2021/07/27
BOOK REVIEW:
THE SMOKE HUNTER BY JACQUELINE BENSON
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: The Smoke HunterAuthor: Jacquelyn Benson
Published: 2016
Language: English
Pages: 448
Rating: 5/5
Summary:
Starting off in England in 1898, Ellie Mallory is working as an archivist, despite her education as an archeologist. Frustrated with her lack of opportunity, when she comes across a long lost map in the office, she immediately sees her chance to make her career, sets off to the other side of the world, determined to head into the uncharted jungle. But she's not the only one looking for treasure.
Review:
This was so fun and I loved it!
This is exactly what I've been looking for in an adventure book; it's fun, entertaining, filled with ancient cultures, mysteries and interesting characters. I was immediately drawn into the story, loved the historical time period and the different settings, and I really felt like I went on an adventure with the characters, like I was really there. It's the perfect mix of The Mummy, Lara Croft and Indiana Jones.
I loved the atmosphere in this book as well, and the suspense was fantastic, especially towards the end. The descriptions of everything was great, and I loved getting to know the characters. I also, surprisingly, didn't even mind the romance; it was rather the opposite, towards the end I was actually rooting for it.
This is the perfect blend of adventure, history and romance. It is on the lighter side in a lot of ways and it has some cliches in it, but it's perfect when you want entertainment, excitement and something to get lost in.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
You can read more about it on Goodreads
2021/07/25
2021/07/24
BOOK REVIEW:
THREE STONES MAKE A WALL BY ERIC H. CLINE
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: Three Stones Make A WallAuthor: Eric H. Cline
Published: 2017
Language: English
Pages: 480
Rating: 5/5
Summary:
Written by an archeologist with more than thirty years of experience, this takes us through the history of archeology from its conception to its current day form and we explore both how archeologists used to work and work now, as well as numerous archeological sites around the world.
Review:
You know how satisfying it is when you find a book, start reading it and it's exactly what you're looking for? That's the experience I had with this.
What I wanted from this book was an interesting look into the field of archeology, both its history and in its current form and that's exactly what this is. I loved reading about all the different archeology sites, both the ones I'd heard of and the ones I hadn't. I love all the bits of history in here, learning about how we know certain things and just getting to read more about what historical humans were like.
The writing in this book is easy, conversational and readable. There's a lot of information in here, but it's handled well and given to you in a way that's easy to understand. I did try to take my time with this book though, to really let things sink in, as I often do with nonfiction of this type.
I think this works great as an introduction to this field; it doesn't go in depth about everything, but concisely takes us through the most fascinating parts of it, which was really fun. It's also a great bench mark for reading more in depth about different sites and people, which I will definitely be doing. I also actually think I might reread this in a few years time, because I just enjoyed it so much.
You can read more about it on Goodreads
2021/07/23
2021/07/20
BOOK REVIEW:
DROWN BY JUNOT DIAZ
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: DrownAuthor: Junot Diaz
Published: 1995
Language: English
Pages: 208
Rating: 3/5
Summary:
This is a short story collection, containing ten coming of age stories that move from the Dominican Republic to New Jersey.
Review:
This was pretty good, although I'll admit for some reason I wasn't really in the mood for this and so enjoyed it a little less than perhaps I could have.
All of the stories in here are interlinked and most of them follow the same characters, which I really liked; we get to revisit characters at different times in their lives and that allows us a better understanding of where they come from and why they are the way they are. We explore familial relationships, the experience of growing up and carrying everything that's happened to you with you.
I think the writing style in here is good, if a little unrefined (although it might be that it's supposed to be that way). I'd actually really like to read something else by this author, maybe some of his later work and in longer format, because I think that although the characters bring these stories together, the stories felt a little jumbled to me.
The themes in particular are very interesting in this one and what I liked the most. I'm glad I read this and I'll check out more of this authors work and see if I like it.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
You can read more about it on Goodreads
2021/07/18
2021/07/17
BOOK REVIEW:
HOW TO BE A VICTORIAN BY RUTH GOODMAN
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: How To Be A VictorianAuthor: Ruth Goodman
Published: 2013
Language: English
Pages: 458
Rating: 4/5
Summary:
This takes us through the life of a Victorian and what it was like, from getting up in the morning, all the way through the day until the end.
Review:
This was both really fun and educational, and I learned a lot from it!
Most of what I'm familiar with when it comes to Victorian England is the few bits and pieces I picked up at school, as well as stuff I've picked up from movies and such. This was fantastic though, giving us a look into the everyday Victorian life and not just for the rich and well-off, but also for the working class and middle class, which I very much appreciated. We get to read about getting up in the morning, dressing, exercise, meals, school, work and all kinds of things.
The writing in here is easy to read and understand, descriptive without being overly so, and I like how the author peppers in her own experiences of trying out certain things mentioned in the book. None of the stuff in here feels dry, even if some parts are a little long, and I loved how illustrations are scattered throughout this as well.
Overall, this was just a fun and interesting history book filled with detail, and perfect if you're interested in this particular time period.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
You can read more about it on Goodreads
2021/07/16
2021/07/15
2021/07/13
BOOK REVIEW:
A SHOT IN THE DARK BY LYNNE TRUSS
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: A Shot In The DarkAuthor: Lynne Truss
Published: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 336
Rating: 3/5
This is the first book in the Constable Twitten series.
Summary:
Set in Brighton in the 1950's, a few years after a violent gang fight destroying the two biggest gangs in the city, the Inspector of the police department is convinced there is no crime left in the city and finds it particularly annoying when a new constable comes to town and start investigating a series of burglaries and the murder of a theatre critic.
Review:
This was an easy, funny and enjoyable cosy mystery.
I really like the historical setting of this book and getting to know this little town. The book is filled with interesting characters, even if some of them are a little stereotypical and sometimes it feels like there's too many people in the story at once. There's a great sense of humor throughout this book which despite it being about murders and mayhem, keeps everything light.
I do think it takes a while for this to get going though and I thought the pacing was a little off sometimes. Sometimes there's also a lot going on at once, and I think everything that happens in here could've been spaced out better.
It was enjoyable, but not a particularly memorable read for me, so I probably won't keep going with the series.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
You can read more about it on Goodreads
2021/07/11
2021/07/10
BOOK REVIEW:
GOING IN WITH FLOWERS BY AVRIL JOY
S P O N S O R E D : B O O K S E N T B Y A U T H O R
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: Going In With FlowersAuthor: Avril Joy
Published: 2019
Language: English
Pages: 150
Rating: 4/5
Summary:
Based on the authors experience of working for over two decades in prison, this is a poetry collection that gives voice to the lives of women behind bars.
Review:
This is an intense, interesting and beautiful collection of poetry.
So, this collection is split into several different parts and each part is introduced with a few pages where the author recounts parts of her experience of working in prison and touch on the people she came into contact with. This gives us, the readers, a bit of context and backstory to the poems to follow and I feel like that worked really well and made me both understand and appreciate the poems more. The collection discusses women, life behind bars and humanity, and it gets quite dark sometimes, which I liked.
When I started reading this and was a few pages in, I knew this is a collection I needed to take my time with and I did; I really let each of the parts sink in and I read the poems both silently and out loud, which made for a great reading experience.
I think this is a great, beautiful and slightly brutal collection of poems, perfect for readers who generally like poetry.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
You can read more about it on Goodreads
2021/07/09
2021/07/08
2021/07/06
BOOK REVIEW:
GOOD NEIGHBORS BY JOANNE SERLING
I N C L U D E S A F F I L I A T E L I N K S
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Title: Good NeighborsAuthor: Joanne Serling
Published: 2018
Language: English
Pages: 272
Rating: 1/5
Summary:
In an idyllic suburb, four families form a neighborhood clique, held together by being in the same place in their lives, until one of the families adopts a child and everyone starts wondering if the child is being treated well in her new family.
Review:
This was just not it for me.
I'm not going to go on about this too much. Maybe this is a great read for others, but for me, this did absolutely nothing. There was barely any storyline, it was filled with boring and uninteresting characters and there was just nothing to keep me intrigued. I kept going because I was sure there must be some excitement or interesting stuff somewhere in this book, anything that made it worth reading, but when I got to the end where some things do finally happen, I found I just didn't care.
I also really didn't get on with the writing style. It felt very choppy to me and like it was trying to be something it wasn't.
So, sadly, not my jam at all.
You can get this book at The Book Depository (affiliate link)
You can read more about it on Goodreads
You can read more about it on Goodreads
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