Category Archives: recommendations

If you liked this… try this…

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Hi guys, I hope you are all well. As you can see from the title I going to be sharing some recommendations in the form of a if you liked this… try this post. I’ve never done one of these before but I thought I’d try it out today. No surprise that all the books I’m going to be talking about are fantasy books, so let’s get started.

 

If you liked Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay then I think you may like the Initiate Brother duology by Sean Russell
Both of these books have East Asian influences as well as political intrigue, a fantastic cast of characters and a compelling plot. If you enjoy slower paced fantasy that are character driven then you need to check out both of these books.

 

If you liked LOTR by J. R. R. Tolkien then I think you may like the Pellinor series by Alison Croggon
Although the Pellinor series is very much its own series, you can clearly see the influences from Tolkien. I have to admit I did find LOTR quite dense but I still really enjoyed it. The Pellinor series is one of my all time favourites and want to recommend it to as many people as possible.

 

If you liked Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier then I think you may like The Bear and the Nightingale by Katharine Arden.
Both of these books have a distinct fairy tale feel to them as well as a great female protagonist. I loved both of these books. Each of them contains a compelling story, fantastic writing and a great cast of characters.

 

If you liked the Riyria Revelations series by Michael J. Sullivan then I think you may like the Greatcoats series by Sebastien de Castell.
Both of these fantasy series are full of humour and are just so entertaining to read. I love both of these series and would highly recommend them if you are looking for a fun, fast read. Both of these series are so good.

 

That’s all I have for you guys today. I quite like doing a recommendation post in this format. Have you read any of these books? Or would you recommend any other books? I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa

 

 

 

Recommendations: More Fantasy

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Hi guys, I hope you are all well. It’s been a while since I’ve done a recommendations post so I thought I’d share some more fantasy favourites with you guys. I’ve written quite a few of these already so if you think any books are missing then check them out too – I’ve linked them all below. You guys should know by now that I read a lot of fantasy and I love sharing it with you all :). Let’s get started.
Fantasy recommendations: part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5 and part 6

 

Under Heaven / Guy Gavriel Kay / ★★★★★
This was my first five star read of this year so of course I want to recommend it to you guys.  Everything about this book was fantastic – the writing, the characters, the world, the plot etc. I’d been meaning to try something by this author for a while before reading this and now I want to read all of his books. I love this book and would recommend to everyone who loves fantasy too. I will have a full review of this book up sometime next month.

 

Traitor’s Blade / Sebastian de Castell / ★★★★
This is the first book in the four book fantasy series, the Greatcoats. I’ve not finished this series yet but I have loved the three books I’ve read. This is such an entertaining fantasy series with a great cast of characters and compelling plot.

 

Forgotten Beasts of Eld / Patricia A. McKillip / ★★★★★
If you enjoy fantasy with a fairy tale feel to it then I highly recommend checking out this fantastic book. This was my first book by this author so I didn’t really know what to expect but I loved this book. The writing is fantastic, the plot is compelling and the characters are so well written.

 

The Initiate Brother duology / Sean Russell / ★★★★
This is a fantastic two book fantasy series inspired by East Asian. If you enjoy fantasy with political intrigue then this is well worth checking out. It can be a little slow at times but I found this to be a very compelling read and I thought the writing was great. The world is detailed and interesting with a range of well written characters.

 

 

There are so many fantastic fantasy books out so I will definitely be doing more recommendations in the future. I’d love to know if you guys have any recommendations for me. Have you guys read any of these books? I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa

 

 

 

Favourite Books of 2017

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Hi guys I hope you are all well. It’s the first day of the new year and so I thought I would share my favourite books of the past year. I’d been wondering whether to post before the year was ended but decided to at the start of the year. These are my favourite books from everything I read in 2017. I did full reviews of a lot of these books so I will link to any of them for you to check out if you so wish. I’m not going to go into detail about these books but just know that I loved all of them and would highly recommend checking them out. Let’s get started.

 

Disappointing books of 2017:
  • The Tiger’s Daughter by K. Arsenault Rivera
  • Guns of the Dawn by Adrian Tchaikovsky
  • Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

 

After reading some pretty fantastic books in the past year, I’m looking forward to another year of reading. What are some of your favourite books of 2017? And have you read any of my favourites? I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa

 

Winter Book Recommendations

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Hi guys, I hope you are all well. As you can see from the title of this post I’m going to be sharing some books that are great to read in the winter. These are books that are ideal to snuggle up to read on a cold day with a blanket and cup of tea, if that is what you like to do. If not then these are still great books to read.
The Bear and the Nightingale / Katharine Arden
The setting of this book makes it a great book to read in the winter time. I actually read this last winter and plan to read the sequel, The Girl in the Tower, this winter.
His Dark Materials / Philip Pullman
Of course, I recommend reading this any time but I think reading it in winter is a great idea. Basically I love these books and will take every opportunity to recommend them.
The Hobbit or LOTR / J. R. R. Tolkien
I don’t have much to say about this one other than I think settling down with a dense fantasy over winter is a good idea. Although I read fantasy year round there’s something about winter that makes me think of the fantasy genre.
Daughter of the Forest / Juliet Marillier
There’s something about books with a fairytale/folklore feel that is perfect for winter, so the Sevenwater series is perfect for that.
That’s all I have for you guys today. I have to admit that I don’t tend to read books based on the seasons but there are definitely some books that have a wintery feel to them. Are there any books that you like to read in the winter months? I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa

 

Recommendations: Historical Fiction

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Hi guys, I hope you are all well. Today I thought I would share some more historical fiction recommendations with you. I really enjoy this genre but I actually haven’t read a whole lot of books from it. I get easily distracted by fantasy books :). I’ve got three books to recommend today, so I’m just going to get straight into it.

 

To Capture What We Cannot Keep / Beatrice Colin / ★★★.5

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Synopsis: Set against the construction of the Eiffel Tower, this novel charts the relationship between a young Scottish widow and a French engineer who, despite constraints of class and wealth, fall in love. 

 

The main thing I enjoyed about this book was the setting. The story itself is quite romance heavy which is not normally my thing but with the back group of the construction of the Eiffel tower I think it really worked. The characters are compelling and well written, although the secondary characters could perhaps have done with a little more depth. The writing is easy to get into and I found that I was invested in the story from early on. For me this was a quick, enjoyable read with a fantastic setting. If your not a big fan of romance heavy books than this may not be for you, but otherwise I would definitely recommend this.

 

The Shadow of the Wind / Carlos Ruiz Zafon / ★★★★

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Synopsis: One cold morning in 1945, a man brings his 10-year-old son Daniel to a labyrinthine library of forgotten titles, hidden in the old city of Barcelona. Allowed to choose one book, Daniel pulls out The Shadow of the Wind by Julián Carax. But as Daniel grows up, several people seem inordinately interested in his find. What begins as a case of literary curiosity turns into a race to discover the truth about the life and death of Julián Carax, and to save those he left behind…
This is a fantastic book. I’d been meaning to read this for quite some time before actually picking it up. From the beginning I was immersed in the story and world, although there were a few sections that did drag for me. It is a slow moving plot, so if that’s not your thing than I wouldn’t recommend it. As I’ve said before I don’t mind a slow plot but it’s probably something to do aware of. Although the characters are generally well written, they are a little flat in my opinion and could do with a little more depth. The writing is good too.  Overall this is a great book and I would definitely recommend checking it out.

 

Empress of Bright Moon duology / Weina dai Randal / ★★★★
Synopsis of book 1: A concubine at the palace learns quickly that there are many ways to capture the Emperor’s attention. Many paint their faces white and style their hair attractively, hoping to lure in the One Above All with their beauty. Some present him with fantastic gifts, such as jade pendants and scrolls of calligraphy, while others rely on their knowledge of seduction to draw his interest. But young Mei knows nothing of these womanly arts, yet she will give the Emperor a gift he can never forget. Mei’s intelligence and curiosity, the same traits that make her an outcast among the other concubines, impress the Emperor. But just as she is in a position to seduce the most powerful man in China, divided loyalties split the palace in two, culminating in a perilous battle that Mei can only hope to survive.

 

I picked this up mainly because it is set in ancient China and I’m glad I did. These books are definitely not perfect but I found them to be very enjoyable historical fiction to read and I loved the setting. I will say I think everything is quite surface level with these books, especially in terms of the characters. I wanted more depth but it’s only a minor complaint as I still really enjoyed these books. The characters are still well written and I found the plot to be quite compelling. Once I started reading I didn’t want to be the book down. The writing is so easy to get into and it really immerses you into this world. Basically I really enjoyed these books and I’m definitely interested in more books set in ancient China.

 

That’s all I have for you guys today. I’d love to know if you guys have a favourite time period for reading historical fiction – I’m not sure about mine :).  I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa

 

 

Recommendation: More Fantasy

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Hi guys, I hope you are all well. It’s been a couple of months since I last recommended some fantasy books so I thought it was about time for another post. I have four more books to talk about today – all of which I loved. I have done quite a few of these so far, if you want to know so good places to start in the fantasy genre than check out this post. So I think I am just going to get straight into it.

 

Queen of Blood / Sarah Beth Durst
This is the first book in the Queens of Renthia trilogy (YA fantasy genre). The main thing I love about this book is the setting.  Basically everything is built on tree branches and everything has a spirit. I really liked that it isn’t your typical fantasy setting – it’s unique. The characters are wonderfully written, the world is fantastic and it has a compelling plot. I recently read the second book in the trilogy, The Reluctant Queen, which is just as great as the first book.  I have a full review of the first book which you can check out here. I am very excited for the third and final book.

 

Kings of the Wyld / Nicholas Eames 
This is the first book in the Bands series. I thought this was a great introduction to this series, although I don’t know how long it is planned to be. This is just a very enjoyable read. Some of the humour wasn’t really to my taste but that’s just personal preference. I thought the characters are well written, the plot is compelling and the writing is easy to get into. I did want more from the ending though. It wasn’t bad or anything, it just felt a little rushed. The whole of the book is built up and then it ends too quickly – it could have been explored a bit deeper. I will definitely be checking out the next book in the series.

 

The Ninth Rain / Jen Williams 
This is the first book in the Winnowing Flame trilogy. I thought this was a fantastic first book in this trilogy. It took me a little while to get into it but after the first few chapters I was hooked. This is definitely another favourite world for me. It’s rich, complex and interesting but it never felt bogged down. The characters are great, the plot is compelling and the writing is easy to get into. The detail in the writing make it an immersive read. I am excited about the potential of the next two books and cannot wait for more from this world.

 

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The Daughter of the Empire / Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts
This is the first book in the Empire trilogy. You guys have probably seen me talk about this book pretty recently so it’s no surprise that I’m recommending it now. If you enjoy politics and intrigue in fantasy books than you need to check out this book. It is so good. Although I loved this world (it’s Japanese inspired) I definitely wanted more from it, but it’s still good. The characters are fantastic – I love Mara as a main character. The writing is easy to get into and I found that I was hooked from very early on. I have also read the second book, Servant of the Empire, and it is fantastic as well. I am very much looking forward to reading the third and final book.

 

I am sure I will be doing another fantasy recommendation post in the future but for now this is all I have for you. I would love to know if you guys have any recommendations for me. Have you read any of these books? I hope you are all having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa

 

 

Recommendations: Classics

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Hi guys, I hope you are all well. I am quite excited as it is my birthday this month and that means there’s an excuse to get more books :). At least in my head. Anyway today I thought I would recommend some more classics. I love sharing my favourite books with you guys. I have already done two recommendation posts on classics which can find here and here.

 

Middlemarch / George Eliot / ★★★★★
I had this on my shelf for quite some time before I finally read it. The size is definitely a little bit intimidating. As you can see from the rating I ended up loving this. It did take me a little while to get into, as there is quite a lot going on, but after a couple of chapters or around the 100 page mark I was completely invested. I think the main strength of this book are the characters. They are so fantastically written and you want to continue reading their stories. The look into society at the time is so in depth and interesting. The writing is relatively easy to get into and is just wonderful. I think I would pick up on many new things if I reread it. It is a pretty slow read but I thought the writing really pulled it through. So even if the pacing is abit slow, the characters and world are interesting enough to keep it engaging. Overall I loved this, but it’s probably not for everyone.

 

The Count of Monte Cristo / Alexandre Dumas / ★★★★
This is another classic that sat on my shelf for quite some before I finally picked it up, again due to it’s size. I knew that I was probably going to like it as I’d heard nothing but good things about it and I had read (and loved) The Three Musketeers also by Dumas. I have to say it did take me sometime to get into this book and it took quite a lot of attention to keep track of all the characters. There were a few times that I was a little confused. Having said that, this is a fantastic book. The characters are fantastic. Dumas creates complex and flawed characters that are a pleasure to read about. The plot is engaging throughout, although perhaps a little slow at times. Overall I loved this one, but it is definitely quite dense and slow moving at times.

 

Wives and Daughters / Elizabeth Gaskell /★★★★
Gaskell is probably one of my favourite authors, so it made sense to include one of her books in this post. I love her writing style and find it so easy to read. Gaskell’s attention to detail is fantastic – it means you become completely invested in the world and the characters. I like that the characters aren’t simply good or bad  – they are all complex and have flaws, so it’s up to you to decide who you think is doing the right or wrong thing. I know I’ve said it a few times already but I think the main strength of this book are the characters. They are such so good. I also love the setting, the plot and the writing. Basically I love this book and author. I highly recommend checking this out. Although I will say this is not my favourite by this author – that definitely goes to North and South, but this is still an amazing book too.

 

Stamboul Train by Graham Greene / ★★★★
This was my second book by this author and I’m excited to try out more. I really enjoyed this book. Again the characters are wonderfully written, the plot is engaging throughout and the mystery is compelling. There is just something about fictional train journeys involving murder, or some other mystery, that just seem to work. It was a little slow to start, but it quickly improves. The atmosphere of this book is great and really adds to the reading experience. There were a few things at the end that seemed a little too neatly wrapped up, but that is only a minor complaint. Overall I thought this was a entertaining read.

 

I enjoyed all of these classics, so it made sense to recommend them all to you guys :). The first two are definitely a bit of a time commitment but they are well worth it. I’m hoping to read more classics this year so one of my goals this year is to read a classic every month. So far I am on track for that challenge. If you have any classic recommendations for me, I would be grateful. I hope you are having a wonderful day and I will see you next time.

 

Pippa