Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish in June 2010. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!  http://www.brokeandbookish.com/   

NB: I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow them to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. 

This week it is a Halloween freebie so I had to give this some thought. I'm going with Ten Really Scary Things.

1) Clowns
Come on, these things are creepy even if you haven't seen or read 'It'!!! Those white faces and big smug grins as they plan how to kill you...and those new scary masks that weirdos around the world are using to scare people? Ugh!

2) Sharks
There are several reasons for not going into the water and this is one of them! We do not need to be going paddling and ringing the dinner bell for things with teeth like that! Of course now there are films where the sharks can leave the water to get you which really freaks me out!

3) Spiders
*shudders* Why exactly do they need to be all hairy and ugh??? Why do they need so many damn legs unless it is to crawl all over your face in the middle of the night and nest in your ears??? This is why I wear headphones in bed...

4) Snakes
I wouldn't say I'm scared of snakes as such but I don't like the idea of them slithering about my house! And when you see those giant anaconda things and what they can eat, well it does make you a tad nervous.

5) Large Beasties
On two occasions we found a giant centipede thing in the house and I freaked out as they are ugly and creepy and fast and gah! I hate them and insects like woodlice and cockroaches which I saw way too much of when working in a hospital.

6) Serial Killers
Why do you think I never went camping? I'd never sleep at night worrying about bugs in the tent and a big machete cutting through the canvas in the middle of the night by a man in a mask or something. This is why hotels were invented!

7) Wasps
They are big and ugly, they don't die when they sting you, they can get you indoors or outdoors, they hunt you down for no reason...hate them! This is why I never sit in the garden to read in the summer! 

8) Getting Blood Taken
Needles don't scare me but I hate getting blood taken. Some of the nurses and pretty much all the doctors seem to have no clue how to do it, digging in veins, twisting the needle or using those big ones that are like bloody knitting needles!!!

9) Zombie Apocalypse
Yes, humour me! If it happened tomorrow would YOU be ready??? Do you have years supplies of food, quiet melee weapons, a zombie proof house and a group of like minded friends, hmm? If you aren't ready, time could be running out!

10) Politics
Watching Trump and Rocket Man exchanging insults stopped being funny a while ago. You really do wonder about the prospects for the human race when those in charge of a lot of countries seem to be losing the plot! Time to build a nuclear fallout shelter I guess...

Chuckles Winter Book Cull

OK I'm tired of drowning in my TBR and it's time to do something about it! I plan to reduce the amount of books I have but in a two part way.

This is the first part of my book cull. I am going to go through every book on my ereader and reference each one against Goodreads reviews before making a final decision on whether I really want to read it or not. I'll be looking to cull those with dreadful main characters, tropes I hate, confused writing and very slow starts. These are my biggest reasons for DNFing books so that is a good place to start.

I really do need to focus on the genres I love like non sex based UF, horror, non fiction politics, preppers and apocalypses, Tudor fiction, non fiction mountain climbing, history etc. If I'm going to be watching more TV and films, and watching favourite boxsets and getting in a few book re-reads of old favourites etc then I really need to focus my time on what I want to read most. I also want to read more on non fiction subjects that interest me so before I can do that, I need to get rid of the books that no longer interest me.

Hopefully I'll get my TBR reduced by doing this and giving myself more of a chance to get through books I really do want to read. I will also be tackling the physical books I own, clearing out those I no longer want even if I haven't read them yet. I MUST get space back and the local charity shops will be glad of the books I'm donating! I'm also planning to cull my cds as I don't listen to much music these days and I have way too many! Getting the TBR down will help to de-stress me and stop me feeling so overwhelmed. I hope it will also get me out of this terrible slump!

When my shelves are in better order, I will take some photos to share with you! 

Are you planning a winter book cull or clearout? Are you taking back control of your shelves? Are you overwhelmed by the size of your TBR and needing a solution? 

Around The Blogs With Chuckles

We all enjoy snooping and lurking on other people's blogs right? Why not share those entertaining things you found with other readers and bloggers too! Welcome to Around the Blogs with Chuckles, where I take time out to show you some of my favourite blog posts from the previous seven days and link you up so you can check them out.

This Week!

1) Book Review-Kill the Father by Sandrone Dazieri 
A crime and mystery offering from Bibliobeth

https://bibliobeth.com/2017/10/29/kill-the-father-sandrone-dazieri/ 

2) Book Review-Turtles All The Way Down by John Green
AJ looks at the latest offering by a popular author.

http://ajsterkel.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/review-turtles-all-way-down-john-green.html 

3) Book Review-My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand etc 
Review of a book that I really need to get round to!

https://darquedreamerreads.wordpress.com/2017/10/26/my-lady-jane-by-brodi-ashton-cynthia-hand-and-jodi-meadows/ 

4) Book Review-The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno Garcia 
Mogsyreviews an audiobook for your entertainment.

https://bibliosanctum.com/2017/10/29/audiobook-review-the-beautiful-ones-by-silvia-moreno-garcia/

5) Natural Aids To Stop Pneumonic Plague 
Garlic and vitamins could save your life...

http://readynutrition.com/resources/how-these-three-natural-aids-can-lessen-your-chance-of-contracting-the-pneumonic-plague_27102017/ 

Halloween Creatures Book Tag

Rules:
*Follow the Categories
*You Must Be Honest
*You Must Answer All Questions to the Best of Your Ability
*You Must Tag At Least 3 People
*Have Fun!
*Credit Would be Greatly Appreciated! 
https://keepreadingforward.wordpress.com/2017/10/16/halloween-creatures-book-tag/  

I saw this tag over at Barb's and of course I just had to join in! I tag anyone who wants to join in! Here are Barb's answers if you missed them:  
http://bookertsfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/halloween-creatures-books-tag.html

Witches
A Book or Character that is Magical.
It kind of has to be Harry Potter doesn't it! The worldbuilding was wonderful, great characters, action and humour, magical creatures, inventive content, life lessons...it's just one of the best book series ever written in my opinion and I'll never get tired of reading it! Or listening to the Stephen Fry audio cds!

Mummies
A Book or Character You Can’t Wrap Your Mind Around.
 There were a few books that came to mind. If we are talking about hyped books I didn't get, Catch-22 is right up there along with the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. I know both are popular but I disliked both from page one, hated the characters and the plot. On the incomprehensible side, Wuthering Heights...couldn't make out a bloody thing one of the characters was saying and for that reason I'll add Trainspotting. I'm Scottish and I could barely understand the dialogue! Shakespeare was always a special challenge at school...

Vampires
A Book, Series, or Author You Can’t Live Without.
My all time favourites are Harry Potter and Stephen King's 'It'. Definitely desert island selections. I think I'll be adding the novels that inspired Game of Thrones by the time I catch up with the books. I also always grab new books by Darrell Maloney in the apocalypse genre. I'm a big fan of Patricia Briggs two werewolf series and Jack Kilborn and Hunter Shea in the horror genre. Richard Laymon was always a must buy as well.

Werewolves
A Book Best Reading at the Middle of the Night.
I no longer read in the middle of the night-I'm getting too old for that! For me, every book is for reading whenever time allows and if I get my insomnia I just pick up whatever I am already reading. Sometimes, exciting apocalypse books for late night reading are not the best choices as I get too hyper! Last one I was up late-ish reading was A Storm of Swords part two. I wasn't going to bed until that was completed!

Zombies
A Book You Picked Up for the 2nd Time or Continued after DNFing it.
No book gets a second chance with me. Once I have decided to DNF it, it goes to a charity shop and I never think of it again! DNF means 'I'm done with this' and I don't waste any more time with it. Too many others to read!

Ghosts
A Character You Saw Right Through or a Book You Easily Predicted a Twist or the Ending.
I get a lot of 'don't trust him/her!' moments in a book as I am naturally paranoid and suspicious! Shae was a good example, as I never trusted her. I think everyone knew who was going to die in book one/series one of Game of Thrones so that was predictable but still well written. Jeez there are too many examples to think about! With Harry Potter, you did suspect the deaths coming in books 5 and 6 but maybe not the manner in which they died.

Frankenstein
A Book that Truly Shocked You.
I can't say that fiction books in general shock me but sometimes maybe a character death is a bit of a shock. The twist at the end of Harry Potter six did shock me the first time I read it as did the killing of a favourite in book seven. Non fiction can be shocking depending on the subject matter. I was shocked by the sheer scale of the cover up of the Hillsborough disaster. That was really shocking. Abuse books have the same effect.

Skeletons
A Book or Character that Chilled You to the Bone or got your Funny Bone.
(Expressions meaning being scared, or finding something really funny.)
The Weasley Twins kept me laughing right through the Harry Potter books as did some of Tyrion's stunts in Game of Thrones. Hodor makes me smile. Myrnin from the Morganville vampires is really funny at times especially with those furry vampire bunny slippers! Oberon in the Iron Druid is funny as is the vampire trying to use modern slang!

Ghouls
A Book that Left You Hungry or a Recipe You Want to Try from a Book.
Reading about the Hogwarts feasts or that darn sweet shop always gets me hungry and I'd love to try a few things off the train trolley as well as Butterbeer! I don't cook recipes though so I doubt I'll try any of them! Anyone eating cake or pizza makes me hungry too.

Goblins
A Greedy Character or a Character that Loves Gold and Jewelry.
Kind of drawing a blank here. Oh wait, it has to be Gollum! My precciioouuss!

Devil
A Dark, Evil Character.
So many to choose from! Voldemort, Bellatrix LeStrange, Cersei Lannister, Night King, Ramsay Bolton, Theon Greyjoy, Joffrey Baratheon, Sauron, Saruman, Wormtongue, The White Witch, Randall Flagg, Pennywise the clown, Annie Wilkes, Emperor Palpatine, The Gentlemen, Angelus, Bill Sikes...

Grim Reaper
A Character You Loved or Hated that Died
 Spoiler alert for Harry Potter book 7 and then Game of Thrones!!! I will NEVER forgive JK Rowling for what she did in this book to poor Dobby! I was also a bit upset at the way Remus was discarded off the page and we only saw the body. He deserved a heroic ending dammit! As for Game of Thrones, there are constant shocks-Maester Luwin, that upset me, as did Ned, Maester Aemon and Drogo. and quite a few more!

Scarecrows
A Book or Character that Scares You.
I have never been scared of a book. Ever! But I wouldn't want to meet Voldemort, the dothraki or the White Walkers, Randall Flagg, Pennywise or any kind of zombies ever! Zombies do kind of scare me, along with great mutant spiders, overgrown beasties and things like that.

I TAG YOU!!! 

Totally Should've Book Tag

I saw this book tag on:
https://dragonsandzombies.com/2017/10/15/totally-shouldve-book-tag/

Totally Should've got a sequel
I would've loved a sequel to Stephen King's 'It'!!! Just because I love the book so much. A sequel to The Return Man would be nice as that was a great stand alone zombie book. How about more GoT prequels? I'd love a couple of books on Robert's Rebellion and the reign of The Mad King...but AFTER the series is complete!

Totally Should've had a spin off series
Harry Potter. I want a complete set of books about James, Sirius, Snape and co at school, and especially books on the rise of Voldemort and the Order, with the war that followed, leading to the Potters death, the trials and the Longbottoms being attacked. I want all of this! Imagine reading about Moody and co fighting Death Eaters during the war and getting to know the dead Order members mentioned in the books! 

Totally Should've ended differently
I was really disappointed that the end of Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series focused on a somewhat dull story arc with my least favourite character and a romance without chemistry. It did ruin the series for me with all the brilliant MCs from previous books being sidelined while the immature, boring and incapable spoiled brat witch single handedly saves the world. Yuk! It should've had everyone as a proper team, using their skills together instead of them mostly doing nothing and being wasted by the author.

Totally Should've had a TV show
Ugh so many to pick from! Michael Stephen Fuchs Arisen series and Nicholas Sansbury Smith's zombie series would be a must. Tomorrow When The War began should've been continued whether in film or TV format. Most of my apocalypse books would be great series. LOVE to see Robert Boren's Bug Out! series!

Totally Should've had a film franchise
I really enjoyed the film of Tomorrow When The War Began but for whatever reason, we were left with the cliffhanger at the end and the other books left unfilmed. Really annoying! There was talk of the rest being done as a TV series in Australia but I haven't heard anything about that either. The Testing has a great storyline for Hunger Games fans so that would be good.

Totally Should've had one point of view
I can't think offhand but I will compliment George RR Martin for the way he uses multiple POVs to great effect.

Totally Should've had a cover change
I've got a lot of Indie apocalypse books with dreadful unappealing covers but I understand why. It'd be a bit unfair to select any of them!

Totally Should've stopped reading
This isn't relevant to me as I DNF a book as soon as I lose interest in it. No point in reading on if I'm not enjoying it!

Totally Should've kept the cover
I haven't read it but Waterproof is a prime example of leaving a great cover alone instead of changing it to something crap.

 



















Totally Shouldn't have prejudged
Harry Potter. I wrote this off as a kids book when it was recommended to me but a year later I read and loved it.

I TAG YOU ALL!!!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chuckles Cover Love #49

If there is one thing that makes a great book even better, it is when it has a cover that we love! The cover design is what catches the eye as we browse through a bookstore shelf or check out the Amazon or Goodreads recommendations. The right cover makes me look closer at a book, to read the blurb and maybe make a purchase. A poor cover might mean I never look at the blurb at all.

This Week! Laini Taylor!
I tried the first book in the series but it just wasn't for me. Love the vivid use of colour though.

Chuckles Weekend Roundup

Welcome to my new feature Chuckles Weekend Roundup where I will be looking at what books I've received, anything interesting I've done or bought or watched and other random stuff. I'll be taking a look back at what happened in my blogging world too, sort of like The Sunday Post that some of you do! 

Please note that I'll be visiting your STS/SP as normal, but I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow DISQUS to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I am the only one who does that on my social media! I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. Sometimes, I have problems leaving messages on blogs hosted by Wordpress-they try to block me because I deleted my account with them but I will persevere as it only happens the odd time!

****************

This has turned out to be a really busy week for me off the blog. I've had a lot of niggling jobs to do that all seem to take forever but when you look around you just can't see the fruits of your labour in any tangible way! Things like organising the dvds on the shelves, trying to find more space *laughs* on the physical bookshelves upstairs to get these book piles off the floor, finishing the deep clean of the kitchen and getting the hall sorted and user friendly with no junk. It's been time consuming and I've had less time on the computer for blog visiting and comments this week. Next week looks pretty busy too...I've got the October book cull which means going through the physical bookshelves and getting rid of unwanted books to the charity shop, and decluttering the ebooks that I no longer want to read. That will take a couple of days to complete! Ugh, but it must be done!

 

I haven't done much reading this week...just a few chapters of A Feast for Crows. It'll be interesting to get POV from Cersei, Asha and Brienne but the thought of no Jon, no Tyrion, no Davos, no Dany is a bit disappointing! But it is time, not motivation which is the current issue! I've become addicted to Snake City on NatGeo Wild, Great British Menu and re-runs of Coronation Street so I've been in telly sloth mode! A few book downloads to share with you though including some fantasy...

 

DOWNLOADS:

 

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34102179-the-last-wish

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22463760-age-of-iron

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28169061-you-die-when-you-die

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25659482-graveyard-shift

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78978.Hell

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20550148-need 

 

Chuckles Blogging World: 

 This was not a productive week on the blog. I was so busy with other stuff this week that I was days late in replying to comments and leaving comments on blogs. I still haven't fully caught up but that will happen today so that is something I guess. I didn't get much done on the book review side of things but I did see plenty TV!

Book Reviews:

I only managed a couple this week which is pretty poor and one was a copied and pasted retro read! Not my finest week!

 

JD McKenna-The Dead Familiar (Winterhaven #1)

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/chuckles-retro-reads-dead-familiar-by.html 

 

JD McKenna-Winterhaven (Winterhaven #2)

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/book-review-winterhaven-by-jd-mckenna.html 

Regular Posts:

I didn't get to any of the samples again this week but I did my usual Around The Blogs With Chuckles. Cover Love looked at Kristen Painter, Top Ten Tuesday was about Reality TV shows I enjoy, and Can't Wait Wednesday was all about the apocalypse!

 

Chuckles Cover Love

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/chuckles-cover-love-48.html 

Around The Blogs With Chuckles

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/around-blogs-with-chuckles_23.html

 

Top Ten Tuesday

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/top-ten-tuesday_24.html 

Can't Wait Wednesday

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/cant-wait-wednesday_25.html

 

Discussion Posts: 

This week, Chuckles Chat looked at anthologies while Game of Thrones Gossip looked at Gendry, Hot Pie and Jaqen H'Ghar!

 

Chuckles Chat

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/chuckles-chat-40-anthologies.html 

Game of Thrones Gossip

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/game-of-thrones-gossip-39-gendry-hot.html

 

Film Reviews: 

none this week

 

Special Posts:

I did a book promotion for a blog I follow.

 

SJ Higbee-Running Out Of Space

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/book-release-running-out-of-space-by-sj.html 

 

Book Tags/Blog Awards: 

Filled in two posts concerning blog awards and managed to fit in a nice seasonal book tag!

 

Blogger Recognition Award

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/blogger-recognition-award.html 

Versatile Blogger Award

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/versatile-blogger-award.html

 

Hocus Pocus Book Tag

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/the-hocus-pocus-book-tag.html 

Book Challenge Updates:

 

My Goodreads Challenge-192/200

 

TBR books I own but haven't read-849

 

Currently Reading/Next Up: 

Pretty much no reading done this week other than a few chapters of this bad boy...and I'll continue with it this week!

 

 

Next Week on the blog... 

 Chuckles Cover Love features Laini Taylor, Top Ten Tuesday continues, Can't Wait Wednesday goes apocalypse again, Chucles Chat features Ebooks v Physical books and Game of Thrones Gossip looks at the Bad Guys of season two. I also go around the blogs as usual and there will be a book tag ot two... 

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Chuckles Chat #40 Anthologies

Welcome to Chuckles Chat where great blogging minds unite to discuss the topics of the day mainly in the book and blogging world. I'll be sharing my thoughts on a topic and then inviting you all to share your thoughts. It's ok to disagree but PLEASE be respectful of each other's views! All of the comments on my blog are moderated and offensive posts ie racist, bigoted will not be published! 

NB: I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow them to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account.   

This week, I'm looking at anthologies.

Anthologies appear all over the bookyverse and are very popular with many readers. The new in-thing seems to be these themed anthologies in genres like paranormal romance, urban fantasy, horror and dystopia. You know the ones I mean...an anthology with a title like trick or treat, filled with stories based on that theme, or others like angels and demons, magic and mayhem and so on. You can pick up these sets sometimes for 99p and get maybe 20 books in it to try. There are also the anthologies put together by a top author which is then padded out with a lot of new authors in the genre, or maybe a horror writer like Joe Hill putting several of his offerings in one volume. Generally with the range of anthologies, there is something for everyone.

I went through a phase of grabbing these sets at cheap prices with the aim of trying the authors in them who are perhaps unfamiliar to me. Sometimes I'd grab one because a short story from a series I'm following has been included in it. I might even have grabbed one written purely by an author I like. Oh yes I had plenty reasons to grab these as they do often look like great bargains. Buy this at 99p and get 20 new authors to try! Sounds great right?

My problem is that after I grab them, they sit and fester on my ereader and I never seem to feel motivated to read them. I think I have about 35 anthologies, maybe more, sitting waiting for my attention! Every time I look at them I think to myself 'I'll get to them eventually' but I never seem to. The problem is I know I'm only going to like some of the content, and the prospect of ploughing through a lot of things I don't enjoy to get to the hidden gem can be daunting. And of course there are occasions when you don't like any of the books! It does take me a while to get through an anthology, even when I DNF the ones I don't like. I usually feel more like reading one book rather than a pile of similar in one volume. 

Quality can be an issue when a lot of books are put together like that. When I talk about that, I'm not referring to the quality of writing. It would be unfair to say that most of it is rubbish and only a few are decent...we all have different tastes in our personal reading so what I think isn't great will thrill someone else. By quality here I mean relating to my personal enjoyment of what is included in the anthology. I find that in a volume of say ten books, I might really like one, think a few are ok and the rest I don't like at all. If you are lucky you get a line or two about each story on the back or dust jacket so it is harder sometimes to decide if an anthology will suit you or not. Often it is easier to view a big blurb for one book and decide!

So is it really worth the effort for a reader like me? I suspect the answer is probably no. I'm picky about my reads and I hate a lot of tropes that seem to pop up in a lot of anthology books so I find it hard to get excited by the idea of reading them now. I think I need to note down every book I have on these anthologies and look them up on Goodreads and cross out the ones that don't interest me and see what I am left with. I could maybe then get through the rest of these sets quicker and get them off the ereader at last! That could take a few days though but I think it needs to be done. Perhaps then I can find a few of those longed for hidden gems that pop up every now and then!

Do you read a lot of anthologies? What genres do you like them in? Why do you like or dislike them? What do you think of overall quality? How do you decide which to read? Do you pick up these 99p or $1 volume? Do you read anthologies by your favourite author? Do you buy them to get a new story in a series you love? If so do you read the rest of the stories or just that one you bought it for?

Game of Thrones Gossip #39 Gendry, Hot Pie and Jaqen H'ghar

Welcome to my Game of Thrones Gossip, where us fanatics get the chance to discuss everything we love about this amazing TV series. I decided to do a whole series of these discussion posts that let us say everything we want and enjoy every second of it! Please feel free to comment fully and without restriction!

I have to warn you that it is important that you have seen all six seasons before reading any of these posts because these posts and blogger comments will be exploding spoilers all over the place. If you haven't watched the series and plan to, be warned that it's a bad idea to be here right now! I take no responsibility if you read on and things are spoiled for you.

Now I'm looking at the main characters introduced in season two, what our season one characters were doing and looking at all the bests bits. Enjoy the season two posts! 

Gendry is still unaware he is Robert Baratheon's bastard when he travels with Yoren as a new recruit for the Night's Watch, taking with him the bull helmet that he crafted for himself-the one thing he can also be identified by. He has made friends with the disguised Arya and startles her by saying he knows that she is a girl. Yoren chases off the first two goldcloaks that approach their group and Arya is surprised to hear that they are looking for Gendry and not her. She tells him who she really is and he tells her that both Hands died shortly after speaking to him, thinking that he is bad luck to talk to after that. On learning her identity, Gendry is embarrassed to have spoken so crudely in front of a real lady.

The goldcloaks now with Amory Lorch, ambush the group in search of Gendry and Yoren gives the order to fight, but tells Arya and Gendry to run, which they cannot do. Lommy has taken possession of the bull helmet and is injured in the melee. He is killed for being unable to walk and Arya takres the chance to tell the soldiers that he is Gendry, pointing out the helmet. Gendry has been saved but is one of the prisoners taken to Harrenhal. He is selected for torture by Tywin's men, who ask the prisoners about the Brotherhood and who is helping them. Gendry is clueless about who the Brotherhood are and is only saved from death by the arrival of Tywin himself. On discovering his trade, Tywin puts Gendry to work. Arya then arranges her escape with Jaqen, taking Gendry and Hot Pie with her. It is after they leave that Tywin's troops massacre the prisoners and leave.

Hot Pie was an orphan living in King's Landing who was an apprentice to a baker before ending up in the group joining the Night's Watch. He meets Arya when he and Lommy bully her and try to steal Needle, which they soon regret when Arya mentions that she likes to kill fat boys and Gendry steps in. Despite this bad start, Hot Pie and Lommy become companions to Arya and Gendry as they head north. Hot Pie is not brave despite his talk about not being afraid of battle. He chooses to hide in the bushes when Yoren's group are attacked by goldcloaks and watches as Yoren is murdered. He is taken prisoner with the rest of the group and says nothing as Arya lies to the men about Lommy being Gendry.

When they arrive at Harranhal, they are locked up with other prisoners. Hot Pie tells Arya and Gendry that The Mountain selects a prisoner to torture every day and that one prisoner thinks that staring back bravely during selection ensures that you aren't picked. Hot Pie decides to copy that example and is shocked to see that prisoner tortured and killed, leaving him fearing for his own life. It is Gendry who is chosen next but Hot Pie is relieved when they are all saved by Tywin and put to work. He steals food from the kitchen as his part in Arya's escape plan and he is shocked to see the trail of dead bodies by the gate which allows them to escape.

Jaqen H'ghar was in the dungeons of King's Landing when Yoren came to recruit him for the Night's Watch, unaware that this man was actually a Faceless Man of Braavos, feared assassins who can change their appearance at will. As one of three very dangerous men in the group, Jaqen and his companions are locked up in a wagon for transport. Jaqen starts reaching out to Arya, pleasantly asking her for water and apologising for the threats of the men with him which scare her off. He is trapped in the wagon during the fight with the goldcloaks and fire threatens their life until Arya helps them get out. Jaqen is amongst the prisoners taken to Harrenhal and joins the guards when Tywin decides to put them to work.

Jaqen tells Arya that she owes three deaths for the lives that she saved that night and he will kill any three that she names to him. She first names The Tickler, the torturer and Jaqen ensures that he is found dead in the courtyard. The second victim is more time sensitive, with a panicked Arya needing Amory Lorch killed before he can report the letter that she stole from Tywin. Jaqen manages to kill him with a wolfsbane dart as he enters Tywin's room. Arya wants his help to escape when she cannot get Tywin Lannister killed in time, and threatens naming him as the third victim until he agrees. On the night Arya and her friends are to escape, she finds the way clear and a trail of bodies as promised. After the escape, Jaqen offers to train Arya as a Faceless Man if she goes with him to Braavos. Despite wanting to, Arya decides she must locate her family first. Jaqen gives her a coin and a phrase to use if she meets someone from Braavos, which means she will be taken to Jaqen.

Book Review: Winterhaven by JD McKenna (Winterhaven #2)

The End has changed the face of our world forever. Nations lie in ruin, population decimated by our own sins. Amidst this chaos and destruction however, survivors begin to build anew. Some seek power, other's hold to the shred's of their duty, while a few just hope to build something better from the ashes of the old.

Winterhaven continues where The Dead Familiar left off, just after The End and in the first months of a changed world. Jack Hightower seeks a utopian ideal, while elsewhere, mad men plot to ravage the remnants of the old world once more.

The foundations will be lain, but who will stand triumphant at the last call?

My Review: 

Rey's group arrive at Winterhaven to the news that Gary is dead and he has not met the people at the gates. He is unsure if it is a trap. The guards on the wall seek proof that Rey knew Gary and can be trusted to come inside.

Jack is dealing with complaints over the lack of private rooms from the St Cloud people, and trying to work out his complicated feelings for ex-partner Liz, and newcomer Elizabeth. Liz is determined to reclaim Jack and Elizabeth is unsure if she is willing to tell Jack she is interested if Liz is lurking in the background. Jeez Jack, Liz is manipulative and dumped you, trating you like crud and you are even considering taking her back? What a complete idiot! I would be on Team Elizabeth for sure. It's not really a love triangle though, as all of Jack's contact is on a professional level with Elizabeth and nothing has ever happened with them.

Jack starts the training of his first squads of elite soldiers to defend their community-the Wolven Corps. He starts training them with war games which start to reveal some very talented people. Brian and Bear show promise as leaders while Justin is an excellent sniper candidate. With his first teams ready to graduate training, students in a nearby town send out a message for help. Their town is being torn apart by looters and killers and a group are trying to escape. Jack is even more determined to attack the town when he hears that medical staff are being held hostage in one of the buildings.

John and Olivia escape Memphis and set up camp in Arkansas near the border, taking over a camping site with a group of others fleeing the nearby cities. They had thought that the road north to Winterhaven was too long and dangerous but are now concerned that they made the wrong choice. They decide to go into a nearby town to find supplies before starting their journey, unaware that Lucas has his soldiers hunting non-whites in the area and returning slavery to the South. Things go badly wrong and the soldiers shoot at the fleeing John...

The editing continues to be annoying with more issues regarding the change of characters. Characters are being called the wrong names ie Nicole and May, and the spelling of another name changes constantly from Meghan to Megan, which is quite annoying and should be easily picked up by a quick read through. It is this lack of attention to detail that can put people off reading Indie and self published books.

There was a lot to like about this book though. The training of the Wolven Corps was good to read about as we are introduced to characters like Rose, and see more of Justin and Bear who we met in book one. I liked the development of Brian as well. I was also interested in what was happening to John and Olivia and the introduction of Junior as a character. He could fast become a real favourite. I also liked the sub plot of one psycho trying to turn the South into a racist state and a rebellion beginning against him. The best part of course was the rescue attempt on the town, which was tense and exciting.

The first book is still my favourite but I did enjoy this sequel a lot. My only concerns are how prominent Liz seems to be coming when I really don't like her character. I'd like to see more of Elizabeth than her. I did laugh though at the St Cloud lawyer planning to sue for not getting a single room! It's the apocalypse you daft woman! Your entitlement complex is going to get your ass kicked out if you act so stupid!!!

Ideal for fans of character driven apocalypse books.
Read September 2017.
4 stars

Chuckles Retro Reads: The Dead Familiar by JD McKenna (Winterhaven #1)

In the twilight hours of a failing world, one man seeks to bring his loved ones to safety. Jack Hightower: Marine, barkeep, and doomsday prepper. He knows of the coming calamity, and on the final night of an old world he seeks a new beginning. 

This is the story of that night, the tale of how Jack and his survivor's colony in the north came to be.

My Review: 
War has come to the world and a deal was done with a rampant China to leave Japan neutral and the US and Canada untouched. But when China unleashes the Reaper Virus on Japan, the US is ready to retaliate and Jack puts his disaster plan into effect, sending details to his loved ones about collecting them from pick up points and taking them to the safety of his friend Gary's compound of Winterhaven where they will be safer than in the city. Can he persuade them to trust him and can they all get to Winterhaven?

Jack has not trusted in the peace agreement and prepared for the worst and now it is time to put it into action. With his trusty wolf Fenrir, Jack starts out on the journey out of Minnesota, collecting his friends. He is an organised take-charge kind of guy who knows what he wants to do and you want someone like him on your side when disaster happens. I liked him as an MC. I totally love his gorgeous wolf Fenrir who is seriously hard assed! I just wish that Fenrir was on the book cover! We follow Jack's progress as he starts by rescuing neighbour Nicole and her daughter May, before going to his friends, his brother's girlfriend and his ex wife and her family.

We also follow the progress of people who are not with the main group. Rey and his Uncle Jose are friends of Gary and are travelling from Mexico, trying not to attract any attention and avoiding population centres until they have an interesting encounter in Utah with a group of Civil War reenactors. I really enjoyed this part of the story as they are all interesting characters. John and Olivia are in Memphis and have to make a dangerous stop in a bad part area to stop to pick up vital supplies that Jack has hidden, on their way out of the city.

John's parents are arriving on the doorstep of Jack's ex wife Liz, her new boyfriend Duke, a friend of Jack, and her family, who are less than convinced by Jack's message of doom as they never approved of him as a partner for Liz. However they are now watching their neighbourhood burn and uninvited people are about to gatecrash their home, making escape vital. Jack's brother Sam is at college and persuades his friends to join him on a camping trip, putting off telling them why he is leading them towards Gary's compound until the very last minute. Bear is away on a rugby trip but is in the vicinity of St Cloud, which is locked down. Bear is determined to help other people escape from the area and join the convoy to Winterhaven.

Every book needs a bad guy of course and in this one we have George Lucas, a fanatical despot and racist who is determined to take over and rule Mississippi, removing the 'tainted' from his state. He is recruiting a private army and demanding their loyalty. It is going to be interesting to see how his actions impact on our survivors further north.

There is plenty tension and excitement through the book as you would imagine. At each stage of the journey, Jack's main convoy has to stop to add new people, and some of the stops are more dangerous than others. The apartment block that Meghan and Elizabeth live in is under attack and Jack needs to sneak in to help them. The stop at the armory turns into real danger when an angry mob are determined to stop them taking the weapons. Liz and her family and friends are facing attack and need to escape and get word to Jack that they need help. There are also the stories of all the others travelling towards Winterhaven to enjoy. And if all that wasn't enough, there is a group of escaped criminals very close to Winterhaven who are determined to take it over...

There is one little niggle and that is editing. All through the story, Jack's friend is referred to sometimes as Gary and sometimes as Greg which is somewhat confusing in the beginning. However I can overlook that when I like the characters and the plot.

Read January 2017
5 stars. 

Can't Wait Wednesday

Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at http://www.wishfulendings.com/ to spotlight and discuss books we're excited about but haven't read, which may not even be released yet. 

NB: I don't follow or leave comments on blogs run by Google Plus, or DISQUS as I refuse to join something just to leave comments, and I won't allow them to follow new people, update my profile or post tweets 'on my behalf'. I won't comment on any blog that makes me sign in using another account. 

This week! Alex Gunwick!

One Family’s Struggle to Survive Nuclear War…

Luke is four hundred miles away from home when the first bomb drops. In seconds, his routine business trip becomes a nightmarish struggle to survive. After narrowly escaping a nuclear explosion in San Francisco, the Navy SEAL must travel through a world without rule of law. Relying on his skills and the items in his Bug Out Bag, he fights an epic battle as he struggles to get home. Nothing will stop him from getting back to his family. As his resources run out, his resourcefulness kicks in. His family’s depending on him and he won’t let them down—even if it means leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.

Liz can’t believe they’re under attack. At first, it seems like things won’t be too bad. Yet within hours, it seems like the whole world’s gone crazy. With communication lines down, she’s unable to reach her husband, Luke. Getting her kids to their Bug Out Location won’t be easy, but she’s determined to make it. It’s well stocked and safely tucked away in a canyon. But as people begin to flee the cities, a new darkness spreads across America. Her struggle to survive rips apart her core values and forces her to examine what it means to be a mother, a wife, and a survivor.

American Fallout is a thrilling post-apocalyptic survival prepper EMP fiction series that makes you step back and ask: Could this happen tomorrow? What would happen if the world’s nuclear arsenal was unleashed? What would you do if it happened while you were away from home? And how would your family survive?

Another apocalypse disaster book that I can't wait to read! This bad boy came out on September 27th so I'll be looking to get a copy as soon as I can!