Friday 4 July 2014

Catching Up: Mini Reviews

Thank you to everyone who took the time to congratulate me and comment on last week's post about the birth of my son, Giles.  One of the best things about blogging is the friends that I have made, and I was reminded of that when I read through all of the comments :)  I'm continuing to recover very well, and am feeling almost normal again.  Of course, life itself is a bit of a blur of feeding, nappy changing and trying to get a very wide awake baby to go to sleep at 3am in the morning.  I have been able to read a bit (kindles are great for one handed reading!) but most of the following reviews are for books I finished up whilst waiting for Giles to arrive.

1. A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
This was a reread that I started as soon as I became overdue and needed distraction!  I loved this book the first time around and loved it even more the second.  I picked up on more of the clues for what was to happen in the future, I was able to see how much the characters had developed and I liked the simplicity of the plot-line.  This is the only book in the series where most of the main characters are together for most of the time, which makes it more coherent than the other volumes.  Escaping to Westeros was just what I needed, even if I can't see myself re-reading the rest of the series any time soon. 5 out of 5 stars.



2. The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
When I first started reading historical fiction, I quite liked Philippa Gregory.  I soon grew out of her, but her books are kind of a guilty pleasure for me.  The Constant Princess is about the life of Catherine of Aragon, and focuses particularly on her marriage to Arthur, and the beginning of her subsequent marriage to Henry VIII after his brother's death.  As always, Gregory takes a bit of a liberty with the facts but this book was a quick, fun read.  3 out of 5 stars.




3.  Guns by Stephen King
As a Brit, the debate about gun ownership in the USA really fascinates me.  Here, guns are a non issue - people aren't allowed to own them, and I can't think of anyone I know who would want to.  Only small sections of the police are armed, and most people would be scared rather than reassured to have a gun in the house.  So I'm not going to comment on King's arguments, which seemed logical and practical to me, as I'm not the intended audience.  I will say that the whole thing felt a bit rushed, as if it were hurried for publication, and this ruined my enjoyment of his writing a bit.  3 out of 5 stars.


4. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell
This one I read after Giles arrived, in the night time moments when he wasn't quite ready to be put into his Moses basket yet and just wanted to be held.  It's about twin sisters Cath and Wren, who begin to grow apart when they start university.  I really liked the main character, Cath, and could relate to her shyness and awkwardness around people.  The love story was very sweet, and the whole thing was extremely hard to put down.  I've come to the conclusion that I just enjoy Rowell's young adult fiction more than her adult books.  4.5 out of 5 stars.


13 comments:

  1. As an avid reader I always enjoyed reading whilst I nursed and soon read aloud the classics to our son. It was the best of time!
    As to Mr. King's arguments, I hear you but as you said, it was not intended for all of us.
    Hug your little treasure and Happy Summer!

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    1. Reading aloud is a great idea - I bet it's really soothing for the baby too. I am going to try this :)

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  2. I'm glad to hear that you loved GoT the second time around as well. I am still on the fence regarding that. I love the show and the suspense that comes with not knowing what will happen next. But I can see that I will love the books for the same reason.

    Enjoy your time with your adorable little one!

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    1. I love the show too, but the books are just that little bit better. Especially now that the plot of the show is starting to be significantly different from the original plot.

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  3. Congratulations Sam! Giles looks precious! I'm very impressed that you already posting reviews!

    The Game of Thrones series was a revelation to me. I'm not really a big fantasy reader, but that will probably change after discovering the pleasures of immersing myself in the world of Westeros. I agree with everything you say about Fangirl: I loved it.

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    1. Thank you :)
      I got on a big fantasy kick after finishing the Song of Ice & Fire series, I think I read more fantasy in the following three months or so than I ever had before.

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    2. I just read The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss, another great fantasy book that is part of a projected trilogy. It was another fun and immersive experience.

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  4. I'm so glad you're recovering, Sam. Today I thought "oh, it's Sunday, can't wait to read how Sam and Giles are doing". I'm glad everything's fine andI hope that little bundle of joy gets into a sleeping pattern as soon as possible. Take good care x

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    1. To be honest his sleeping is pretty good - he tends to wake up three times a night and for the first two at least, he is quick to go back to sleep after eating. The third one is more of a challenge as it's daylight and he wants to be up and doing things!

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  5. Glad you're doing better, Sam! Looks like you have plenty of good books to keep you company.

    I'm with you on Rainbow Rowell. I have a hold on her newest one, Landline, for when it comes in at the library, but I'm trying not to expect too much from it. Her other adult novel did absolutely nothing for me.

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  6. This post tells me that you are doing so well and Giles is also a wonderful baby. My first child would not allow me a wonk, much less to read! Wishing you all the best, Sam.

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  7. Great books! I am currently re-reading Game of Thrones and it's a great experience to go back to this story and these characters again after watching all seasons of GoT. I can't wait to re-read the rest! Also, I really need to read anything from Rainbow Rowell. haha.

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  8. I thought I would start Game of Thrones on my summer vacation, but ended up picking up other books instead...maybe better as a fall/winter read curled up inside? We shall see! I am happy to hear how much you enjoyed it as a re-read!

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