Mini Pin-It Reviews #6 – Four Random Books

Hello everyone and welcome to another mini pin-it reviews post! I have a massive backlog of reviews and this is my way of trying to get on top of things a bit. This isn’t to say I didn’t like some of these books – my star rating is a more accurate reflection of this, but this is a great, snappy way of getting my thoughts across and decreasing my backlog a bit. This time I’ve got four “random” books for you that I simply couldn’t categorise – please see my pin it thoughts below!

1.) Gut: The Inside Story Of Our Body’s Most Underrated Organ – Giulia Enders

What’s it all about?:

A cheeky up-close and personal guide to the secrets and science of our digestive system.
For too long, the gut has been the body’s most ignored and least appreciated organ, but it turns out that it’s responsible for more than just dirty work: our gut is at the core of who we are. Gut: The Inside Story of our Body’s Most Underrated Organ gives the alimentary canal its long-overdue moment in the spotlight. With quirky charm, rising science star Giulia Enders explains the gut’s magic, answering questions like: Why does acid reflux happen? What’s really up with gluten and lactose intolerance? How does the gut affect obesity and mood? Communication between the gut and the brain is one of the fastest-growing areas of medical research—on par with stem-cell research. Our gut reactions, we learn, are intimately connected with our physical and mental well-being. Aided with cheerful illustrations by Enders’s sister Jill, this beguiling manifesto will make you finally listen to those butterflies in your stomach: they’re trying to tell you something important.

Would I recommend it?:

Probably!

Star rating (out of 5):

2.) – How To Be A Good Wife – Emma Chapman

What’s it all about?:

I know what my husband would say: that I have too much time on my hands; that I need to keep myself busy. That I need to take my medication. Empty nest syndrome, he tells his friends at the pub, his mother. He’s always said I have a vivid imagination. Marta and Hector have been married for a long time – so long that she finds it difficult to remember her life before him. He has always taken care of her, and she has always done everything she can to be a good wife. But when Hector comes home with a secret, their ordered domestic life begins to unravel, and Marta begins to see things, or perhaps to remember them. In the shadows there is a blonde girl that only Marta can see. And she wants something…

Would I recommend it?:

Probably!

Star rating (out of 5):

3.) Blood Red, Snow White – Marcus Sedgwick

What’s it all about?:

Russia wakes from a long sleep and marches to St Petersburg to claim her birthright. Her awakening will mark the end for the Romanovs, and the dawn of a new era that changed the world. Arthur Ransome, a journalist and writer, was part of it all. He left his family in England and fell in love with Russia and a Russian woman. This is his story.

Would I recommend it?:

Not sure.

Star rating (out of 5):

4.) Daughters Of Rome (The Empress Of Rome #2) – Kate Quinn

What’s it all about?:

A.D. 69. Nero is dead.

The Roman Empire is up for the taking. With bloodshed spilling out of the palace and into the streets of Rome, chaos has become the status quo. The Year of Four Emperors will change everything—especially the lives of two sisters with a very personal stake in the outcome….

Elegant and ambitious, Cornelia embodies the essence of the perfect Roman wife. She lives to one day see her loyal husband as Emperor. Her sister, Marcella, is more withdrawn, content to witness history rather than make it. Even so, Marcella has her share of distinguished suitors, from a cutthroat contender for the throne to a politician’s son who swears that someday he will be Emperor.

But when a bloody coup turns their world upside down, Cornelia and Marcella—along with their cousins, one a collector of husbands and lovers, the other a horse-mad beauty with no interest in romance—must maneuver carefully just to stay alive. As Cornelia tries to pick up the pieces of her shattered dreams, Marcella discovers a hidden talent for influencing the most powerful men in Rome. In the end, though, there can only be one Emperor … and one Empress.

Would I recommend it?:

But of course!

Star rating (out of 5):

COMING UP SOON ON MINI-PIN IT REVIEWS – Four more books from my “random” category!

She Is Not Invisible – Marcus Sedgwick

What’s it all about?:

The feeling that coincidences give us tells us they mean something… But what? What do they mean?

LAURETH PEAK’S father has taught her to look for recurring events, patterns, and numbers – a skill at which she’s remarkably talented. When he goes missing while researching coincidence for a new book, Laureth and her younger brother fly from London to New York and must unravel a series of cryptic messages to find him. The complication: Laureth is blind. Reliant on her other senses and on her brother to survive, Laureth finds that rescuing her father will take all her skill at spotting the extraordinary, and sometimes dangerous, connections in a world full of darkness.

From acclaimed storyteller Marcus Sedgwick, She Is Not Invisible is a gripping contemporary thriller threaded with unsettling coincidence and a vivid and convincing portrayal of a young woman living without sight.

What did I think?:

I’ve wanted to read a book of Marcus Sedgwick’s for so long after hearing many positive things about him so She Is Not Invisible seemed a great place to start. It it essentially a short-ish YA novel told from the point of view of a sixteen year old female protagonist called Laureth, but the difference with this character is that she is blind. Her father is a successful author and is in the middle of researching his new book in Europe which sees him investigating coincidence, the theories of people like Einstein and Jung and the peculiar significance of the number 354. Laureth has not heard from him in a while and is quietly concerned (unlike her mother who doesn’t seem to give two hoots) but alarm bells start ringing when she receives a mysterious email from someone in New York who claims to have possession of her father’s beloved notebook and as proof, he sends a copy of a few of the pages.

Her mother is going away for the weekend and entrusts the care of Laureth’s seven year old brother Benjamin on her. Instead Laureth, now desperately worried, decides to use her mother’s credit card to get her and Benjamin from the UK to New York in search of her father. A tough mission for any ordinary sixteen year old girl but imagine when you have to consider being blind as one of your challenges? I found myself absolutely thrilled by both the character of Laureth with her strength, resilience and determination and the adorable Benjamin who just leapt off the pages for me as someone I could give a giant hug to! Benjamin has a stuffed raven (called Stan) who he won’t be parted from and constantly whispers to as if he is bringing the toy up to speed on their current situation. Benjamin also has hidden strengths within himself that come to light as the novel continues and he plays a crucial part in guiding his sister around the melting pots of sounds, smells and noises that is New York, allowing her to see the city through him.

Another important part of this story is Mr Peak’s notebook which we see glimpses of from time to time as the two children try to find clues about where their father may be. It is very philosophical and often had me wondering about the nature of coincidence… it all became a bit spooky. Several reviewers didn’t really enjoy this part of the novel and some found that the excerpts from the notebook didn’t really add much to the narrative but personally I really enjoyed it as something a bit different from the usual manner of story-telling. I was especially excited about the parts written regarding the number 354 and then guess what page She Is Not Invisible finishes on? Yes, 354. There are many other instances, including the ending where the author shows just how meticulous he has been in writing the novel, everything adds up just right and although I was surprised, I think it was a nice way to end the book.

I do think that this book will probably split some people and it seems to have done just that by the reviews I have read already. Some may find the philosophical bits not to their taste, others may have been expecting something different from the ending. For me, it was a unique and exciting tale that shows YA characters can have disabilities and still be strong (in some cases, stronger) characters too and I hope that other authors will be inspired to step up and promote/recognise disabilities in their work also. From an absolutely brilliant first line:

“One final time I told myself I wasn’t abducting my little brother.”

to when I turned the final page, I was engrossed in Laureth’s story and didn’t want it to end. I will definitely be looking out for more work by Marcus Sedgwick, he has an undeniable talent for beautiful prose and a thought-provoking plot.

Would I recommend it?:

But of course!

Star rating (out of 5):

 

December 2014 – Chrissi Cupboard Month #2

It’s December. And that means…. (drumroll please) it’s Chrissi Cupboard Month!

My lovely sister and fellow blogger Chrissi Reads gives me books on a regular basis, and as she reads at the speed of light I have had to acquire a cupboard in my bedroom purely for her books. Unfortunately, with all my other books and huge TBR pile, I’m not getting through them as fast as I’d like so I would like to dedicate the month of December to reading books purely from the Chrissi Cupboard. I will obviously be reading my short story every week and our Kid-Lit book for the month of December, but I’m hoping the majority of books will be from this cupboard. Here are the first ten I am planning to read and review:

Everneath – Brodi Ashton

Golden Boy – Abigail Tarttelin

Roof Toppers – Katherine Rundell

The Wrong Boy – Suzy Zail

Half Bad – Sally Green

Knife Edge – Malorie Blackman

This Book Is Gay – James Dawson

She Is Not Invisible – Marcus Sedgwick

Legend – Marie Lu

Throne Of Glass – Sarah J. Maas

I’m really looking forward to each and every book in this challenge and have a sneaking suspicion that there might be a couple of 5-stars hiding in there! Let me know if you’ve read any and what you think. Hooray for Chrissi Cupboard Month! For Chrissi’s fabulous blog please click HERE.