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) Plagiarism and Copywrite
Sophie looks at the importance of getting your facts right about the situation. 
http://bewareofthereader.com/discussion-plagiarism-and-copyright-when-the-literary-world-is-abuzz/ 

2) Book Review-My Pretties by Jeff Strand
Bark goes horror.
http://barksbooknonsense.blogspot.com/2019/11/my-pretties-by-jeff-strand-audiobook.html 

3) Book Review-Dead Before Dying by Kerry Schafer
Carole goes paranormal mystery.
https://carolesrandomlife.blogspot.com/2019/11/review-dead-before-dying-by-kerry.html 

4) Booksnake I Hate You!
Barb ponders why there have to be snakes on book covers!
http://bookertsfarm.blogspot.com/2019/11/book-discussion-booksnake-i-hate-you.html 

5) Book Review-Red Winter by Annette Marie
Nicci's review.
https://www.sunnybuzzybooks.co.uk/2019/11/review-red-winter-by-annette-marie-red.html  

6) Book Review-Unnatural Magic by CM Waggoner 
Mogsy goes fantasy.
https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/11/23/book-review-unnatural-magic-by-c-m-waggoner/ 

7) Science Fiction A-Z
26 book recommendations from Mogsy!
https://bibliosanctum.com/2019/11/28/scifimonth-favorite-science-fiction-a-z/

Tackling The TBR

In 2019 I'm making a big effort to reduce my TBR by buying less, getting stuff read and getting rid of the things that I just don't want to read from my bookshelves and my ereaders Maurice and Myrnin! I'll be doing this regular post to show my progress-what came into the house, what I read and DNFed and what was taken off the TBR.

The TBR total shown is the total number of books I own but have not read yet-wishlist books are NOT in my TBR! Re-reads have already been taken off the TBR when I first read them so don't count in reducing the pile but is just here as a note to help for end of year stats! The re-read total is the running total so far for the year, not what I've read each week.

BOOKS IN

-Books in refers to bought, downloaded or gifted books bought either this week or a while back but just being added to the TBR list now due to Chuckles being lazy. 

BOOKS OUT

-Books read and DNFed are obvious. 

-Deleted from the TBR are books I lost interest in reading, or sequels to DNFed books I no longer want to read and have been removed without starting to read them. These three categories added together are my books 'out'.

I'm posting my progress on the 7th, 14th, 21st and final day of the month and noting what is coming in and out of my house. Anyone else is welcome to join in. No rules, set up your posts how you want and when you want just reduce the pile!

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

Nov 1st-7th 

TBR Start Total: 934

BOOKS IN:

New Books In: 4

BOOKS OUT:

Books Read: 3

Books DNF: 0

Others Deleted From TBR: 5

Rereads this year: 3

New Total: 932

Numbers look a bit off but two books I looked at were not on the TBR so they can't come off the total.
******************** 

Nov 8th-14th

TBR Start Total: 932

BOOKS IN:

New Books In: 3

BOOKS OUT:

Books Read: 2

Books DNF: 0

Others Deleted From TBR: 6

Rereads this year: 3

New Total: 927

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

Nov 15th-21st

TBR Start Total: 927

BOOKS IN:

New Books In: 4

BOOKS OUT:

Books Read: 2

Books DNF:

Others Deleted From TBR: 1

Rereads this year: 4

New Total: 925
Total adjusted as I found three books I've read still on my TBR shelf. 
******************** 

Nov 22nd-30th

TBR Start Total: 925

BOOKS IN:

New Books In: 6

BOOKS OUT:

Books Read: 6

Books DNF: 0

Others Deleted From TBR: 2

Rereads this year: 4

New Total: 923
I sort of seemed to stall this week as two weekend roundups in 9 days added 6 books and despite reading four good books, it wasn't really good enough to make the numbers move! I do still intend to hit 900 by the end of December as I might not add anything to the TBR!
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Chuckles Friday Reading Roundup

Welcome to my Friday Reading Roundup! This feature will show exactly what I've been reading and DNFing through the week. 

READ

4 stars for the first three and five stars for the Game of Thrones art!

Chuckles Weekend Roundup

Welcome to my 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!

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

We are officially into my winter hibernation period-no more shopping except for bread and milk until January! My Black Friday purchases all turned up safely which was also a good thing and now I'm just looking forward to days of watching TV and nights of reading, warm fires and a big soft duvet! It may be cold outside but I'll be a very happy Chuckles with my junk food and entertainment! No more Amazon buys until January so this gives me the opportunity to really try and get my book numbers down next month.

 

PAPERBACKS/HARDBACKS

 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/44323319-the-fear-bubble

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40133960-road-to-redemption

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42206215-terror-on-the-two-lane

Black Friday!

OK so I had a little bit of a splurge so I could grab a few boxsets that were reduced, like Elementary, The Blacklist, The Last Ship, Britannia and Knightfall. I also grabbed cds of albums I used to have on vinyl.

Chuckles Blogging World

Pretty much up to date on everything so I'm working on my upcoming Blogmas posts which is good fun! It'll give me more time for fun if I get the blog posts ready in advance.

 

Book Reviews

 

Chuckles Mini Reviews Catchup-Game Of Thrones

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/chuckles-mini-reviews-catchup-game-of.html 

DD Barant-Death Blows (Bloodhound Files #2)

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/book-review-death-blows-by-dd-barant.html

 

Regular Posts 

 

Chuckles Friday Reading Roundup

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/chuckles-friday-reading-roundup_22.html 

Around The Blogs With Chuckles

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/around-blogs-with-chuckles_22.html

Top Ten Tuesday

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/top-ten-tuesday-ten-ya-books-that.html

Books From The Backlog

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/books-from-backlog-operation-siberia.html

Discussion Posts

none this week

 

Book Challenges

 

Chuckles Christmas Selection Box

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/blogmas-2019-chuckles-christmas.html 

Films & TV

In the afternoons we're watching the city finals of American Ninja Warrior season 10. I've been watching a few films I've seen before like The Muppet Christmas Carol. Am I the only one who blubbers when Tiny Tim dies???

 

Book Tags/Blog Awards 

 

Sunshine Blogger Award

http://chucklesbookcave.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-sunshine-blogger-award.html 

Currently Reading/Up Next

I've just finished a few Game of Thrones related books and I'm trying to get in a few more non fiction books before the end of Nonfiction November!

 

 

FOLLOW ME:

https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/chuckles-book-cave-9910183 
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3426724-chucklesthescot 
https://twitter.com/chucklesthescot 
https://www.pinterest.co.uk/chucklesthescot/

Books From The Backlog-Operation Siberia

Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf.  You might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks. Go to Carole's blog and add your blog post link in to join in the fun! Hosted by Carole at https://carolesrandomlife.blogspot.co.uk/

This seems like a fun feature and I have been planning to take part since Carole launched this so at last, here we go! I have a TON of unread books to choose from in various genres and I'm looking forward to sharing some of them with everybody. 

When Captain John Banks and his squad are sent to investigate a zoo in Siberia, he expects to find tigers, bears, maybe elk But there is something there that is new, yet very, very old.

Beasts that haven't walked the Earth since the last Ice Age have been cloned, revived, and set loose to roam free.

And some of them are very hungry.

I've read the first two books in this novella series and there was a lot to like about them. The rest have been sitting on my ereader for varying lengths of time...from 2018-2019. I'm hoping to get a few more of these read before the end of the year. This one sounds pretty good!

The Sunshine Blogger Award

I have done this award a few times in the past but I never get tired of answering a few questions when I'm tagged again so let me say a great big thank you to the lovely Stephanie Jane over at https://stephjb.blogspot.com/ for tagging me this time!

RULES:
-Thank the blogger who nominated you in a post and link back to their blog
-Answer the 11 questions they have provided for you
-Nominate 11 blogs and provide 11 questions for them to answer
-List the rules, display the Sunshine Blogger logo in your post and/or blog

Here are the questions I was asked:

1. If you read about characters eating a tempting new food do you then buy/cook it for yourself?
I don't read the kind of genres that talk a lot about food. I mainly read horror, apocalypse type of things so the plot is focused on things other than food! I'm not really much of a cook and I don't bake so I never pay much attention to what characters in the books are eating. It's not really an interest of mine.

2. Have you ever visited somewhere purely because it sounded great in a book?
Sadly no! Most of what I read is set in the US or in London, or deep rainforests and South American jungles so there is never going to be the chance to visit most of the places I read about. Not many decent books in my favourite genres are set in Scotland and I don't have the money to travel around the UK when I do read of interesting places. 

3. Or chosen a book because it was set somewhere you love? I did go looking for horror and apocalypse books set in Cape Town as I know that city well from several holidays there. It was great to find a few zombie books set there! I read a book recently about vampires purely because it was set in my regular holiday spot of Blackpool so it was great to recognise all the streets and attractions! It is rare for me to finds books I actually want to read that are set somewhere I know well.

4. Have you ever felt obliged to read something because 'everyone else' had? If so, what? And was it worth it?
Never. I read the books that interest me and no amount of hype will make me pick up a book that doesn't interest me just to be a sheep in the crowd! The whole point of the blog I set up was to share different books from Indie authors, less well known small press horror, self published apocalypse and less popular genres. I've never been interested in fitting in with the crowd, I'm not bothered if I don't get tons of blog visits, I've never cared much for needing to promote the 'in books' in the blogging world!

5. Which author(s) inspire(s) you?
I wouldn't say I'm inspired by any author really. I just reads books and enjoy them for entertainment. I do have favourite authors and series in several genres like Darrell Maloney, Hunter Shea, Rick Chesler, Patricia Briggs, GRRM's ASOI&F, JKR's Harry Potter books, Philippa Gregory, Emily Purdy, Alison Weir, Matthew Reilly, Robert Boren, Jaye Wells, RL Naquin, Richard Laymon, and a ton more!

6. How does the size of your TBR affect your reading choices?
I wouldn't say it affects my reading choices. My TBR is above 900 books and these are all books I own a copy of and haven't read. I read based on mood for the most part so I pick up what I feel like reading and go from there. I have cut down on my book purchases these last two years and I'm trying hard to reduce the book pile I have, including culling ebooks I no longer want to read. I'm also trying to target books that have mixed reviews to deal with them quicker.

7. How do you keep track of other bloggers' recommendations? And do you ever get round to reading those books?
If I see a book on a friend's blog that deserves further research I add it to my Goodreads wishlist so I remember to check out reviews of it when time allows. If I decide it isn't for me, I delete it, if it sounds like my thing I'll leave it on wishlist then look for a cheap ebook copy. I will get to most buys I purchase but it will take time with such a big TBR!

8. Do you like using libraries, Little Libraries, or book exchanges?
None of the above. The books I read are mostly Indie or less popular genres so they never appear in our libraries and I can only get them from Amazon. To order a book in our local libraries, we have to pay to get it, pay every year for a new book ticket, another fee for the cd and dvd ticket and so on. It became cheaper to just buy the book instead! 

9. What strategies do you have to drag yourself out of a reading slump?
I take a total break from books and watch TV for a few days or a week and enjoy chilling out. The desire to read something will then creep back in. I used to switch to rereads or the audio books of Harry Potter to get out of the slump and that usually works too.

10. Are your nearest and dearest as bookish as you are?
My dad was always a huge fan of horror books and films and I wanted to read his books even when I was young! He inspired me to try Stephen King and I grew to love the genre. Now I'm the book buyer and I pass on a lot of my books for him to try, especially horror and anything with monsters. He's going on to George RR Martin's books next as he is as big a Game of Thrones fan as I am!

11. If we were all Icelandic, what book(s) would you be hoping to get for Jolabokaflod?
I never get books gifted to me as my family don't celebrate any recognised holidays. I buy all my own books then let my dad read them. I never buy books during December to avoid books going missing in the post and I avoid all shops during the month to hibernate in front of the tv!

I don't ever tag people for things like this. If you like the look of the questions and want to answer them, consider yourself tagged!

1) If you had your own band, what would you call it and what is your stage name?
2) What 3-5 TV shows do you love to relax and watch?
3) Which films have you re-watched the most?
4) What are your favourite music albums?
5) Which animal would you like to be and why?
6) If you had a talking animal, what animal would it be and why?
7) Which superpower would you most want and why?
8) Which three foods could you not live without?
9) What are you currently reading?
10) What are your favourite book genres?
11) Which books would you take to a desert island for the summer?

Blogmas 2019: Chuckles Christmas Selection Box!

Last year I had fun doing a blogging post each day about all the best books I've read in the year, favourite characters and stuff like that. I've always taken part in things like that and I see a few being hosted this year again. This year I'm going to change things up a bit and do my own version of a Blogmas where I do a post a day on book, TV series and film related topics. Anyone who wants to join in and use a few, a lot of or all the topics I use are welcome to do so!

Dec 1-TV To Catch Up With Next Year
Dec 2-Favourite Reality TV Of The Year
Dec 3-Best Films I Watched This Year
Dec 4-Films I Rewatched Most This Year
Dec 5-Best Book Covers
Dec 6-Best New-To-Me Authors
Dec 7-Best Books By Favourite Authors
Dec 8-Most Read Authors This Year
Dec 9-Best Female Characters
Dec10-Best Male Characters
Dec11-Best Partnerships
Dec12-Best Political Books
Dec13-Best Dystopian/SF Books
Dec14-Best Historical Fiction Books
Dec15-Best Thriller Books
Dec16-Best Urban Fantasy Books
Dec17-Best Fantasy Books
Dec18-Best Apocalypse Books
Dec19-Best Short Story/Novella Books
Dec20-Best Zombie Books
Dec21-Best Creature Feature Books
Dec22-BestHorror Books
Dec23-Best Animals In Books
Dec24-Best Non Political Non Fiction
Dec25-The Twelve Days Of Frightmas
Dec26-Books I Want To See As Films
Dec27-The End Of Year Survey
Dec28-Books That Disappointed Me
Dec29-Best Non Book Related Purchases This Year
Dec30-Best Book Related Purchases This Year
Dec31-Challenge 2019 Final Updates 

Top Ten Tuesday-Ten YA Books That Adults Can Enjoy

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.  http://www.thatartsyreadergirl.com/top-ten-tuesday/

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 is a freebie week so I'm looking at ten YA books that adults can enjoy. No whiny dumb teenagers! No Soulmate Instaluv! Relationships that don't overshadow the plot!

1) Simone Pond-Hidden Sight
Losing her parents and her sight changes everything for Sibyl Forsyth. Terrified and refusing to accept the gift that she can now "see" into the supernatural realm, Sibyl stays holed up in her backyard, closed off from the outside world. When she's plagued with a vision of a catastrophic event, Sibyl knows she can't possibly sit back and watch her California coastal town's ultimate demise. Reluctantly, Sibyl sets out to stop her premonition from coming true. With the help of her shifter guide dog, Vago, the two join forces to save the day as they encounter intensely evil spirits with a vicious vendetta. In a race against time, Sibyl and Vago battle their own demons while trying to save the town from an explosive ending that nobody else sees coming. 

2) SM Wilson-The Extinction Files
Betrayal. Sacrifice. Survival. Welcome to the Extinction Trials. In Stormchaser and Lincoln's ruined world, the only way to survive is to risk everything. To face a contest more dangerous than anyone can imagine. And they will do anything to win. But in a land full of monsters - human and reptilian - they can't afford to trust anyone. Perhaps not even each other...

3) DelSheree Gladden-Wicked Hunger
Vanessa and Zander Roth are good at lying. Their whole life is a giant web of deceit made in an effort to conceal the deadly secrets that plague their family. Zander will do anything to forget his mistakes, including pushing everyone away. He was barely surviving in his self-forced solitude before Ivy Guerra entered his life. The new girl in school, with her pink-striped hair and unyielding curiosity, incites something wicked inside Zander that can only be blamed on his family genes. Now Zander is forced to fight an internal war and make a choice between loving Ivy Guerra and killing her.

Vanessa wants nothing more than to shed the strange powers she wields and be normal. Because if Van were normal, she’d be able to have normal things… Like a relationship with the boy she’s been secretly in love with for years. Unfortunately, her life is anything but ordinary. That boy who owns her heart just happens to be her brother’s kryptonite and a potential liability for her entire family. When choices between love and family loyalty have to be made, Van finds herself faced with an impossible decision. As if the Roth family needs anything more to worry about, a vicious plot to expose Van and Zander for what they are is uncovered. When it becomes apparent that someone close to them is at the center of this devious plan, the fight to maintain control and keep their cover ensues. It's a seemingly impossible battle because something is causing their powers to stir stronger than ever before… and it won’t stop until Van and Zander give in to their wicked hunger.

4) Elizabeth Briggs-Future Shock
Elena Martinez has street smarts, the ability for perfect recall, and a deadline: if she doesn’t find a job before she turns eighteen, she’ll be homeless. But then she gets an unexpected offer from Aether Corporation, the powerful Los Angeles tech giant. Along with four other recruits—Adam, Chris, Trent, and Zoe—Elena is being sent on a secret mission to bring back data from the future. All they have to do is get Aether the information they need, and the five of them will be set for life. It’s an offer Elena can’t refuse.

But something goes wrong when the time travelers arrive in the future. And they are forced to break the only rule they were given—not to look into their own fates. Now they have twenty-four hours to get back to the present and find a way to stop a seemingly inevitable future—and a murder—from happening. But changing the timeline has deadly consequences too. Who can Elena trust as she fights to save her life?

5) Melissa Eskue Ousley-Sign Of The Throne
Abby is haunted by dreams of an ivory castle, blood-thirsty monsters, and a striking stranger. Working as a babysitter for a family of mythology lovers in wealthy Newcastle Beach, California, she struggles to define herself among the elite class while trying to make sense of her strange visions. Upon meeting David, the doppelgänger of the mysterious young man in her dreams, Abby’s life is changed forever.

Encountering the queen of Cai Terenmare, a magical kingdom in a parallel world, Abby learns of an evil lord hell-bent on usurping the throne, the murder of Cai Terenmare’s king, the Solas Beir, and the kidnapping of the Solas Beir’s infant son. As the kingdom struggles to endure, the queen shows Abby the full extent of her destiny. She must convince her mysterious crush, David, that he is the lost heir. While braving attacks from the dark lord’s sadistic minions, David must realize his true identity and return to Cai Terenmare to claim his throne before time runs out, lest the evil that was temporarily locked away be unleashed, threatening to destroy both the kingdom and all of humanity.

6) Joelle Charbonneau-The Testing
The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honoured to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one. But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every gruelling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

7) Suzy Turner-Raven
After the inexplicable disappearance of Lilly Taylor's parents, she has no choice but to move to Canada where she unravels some frightening yet intriguing family secrets...Her whole life had been based on a lie. Lilly had grown up in a loveless home with a father who she had barely ever seen and a mother who was... well, not very motherly.

After they mysteriously disappear without a trace, Lilly is sent to Canada where she finds a whole new way of life. A life filled with love and people who care for her. But that's not all she discovers, Lilly also finds out that she isn't who, or what, she thinks she is. Lilly has a very special ability and it's just a matter of time before her true self starts to shine. And when it does, her life will never be the same again.

8) David Estes-The Moon Dwellers
In a desperate attempt to escape destruction decades earlier, humankind was forced underground, into the depths of the earth, creating a new society called the Tri-Realms. After her parents and sister are abducted by the Enforcers, seventeen-year-old Adele, a member of the middle-class moon dwellers, is unjustly sentenced to life in prison for her parents' crimes of treason. Against all odds, Adele must escape from the Pen and find her family, while being hunted by a deranged, killing machine named Rivet, who works for the President. She is helped by two other inmates, Tawni and Cole, each of whom have dark secrets that are better left undiscovered. Other than her friends, the only thing she has going for her is a wicked roundhouse kick and two fists that have been well-trained for combat by her father.

At the other end of the social spectrum is Tristan, the son of the President and a sun dweller. His mother is gone. He hates his father. Backed by only his servant and best friend, Roc, he leaves his lavish lifestyle in the Sun Realm, seeking to make something good out of his troubled life. When a war breaks out within the Tri-Realms, Tristan is thrust into the middle of a conflict that seems to mysteriously follow Adele as she seeks to find her family and uncover her parents true past. In their world, someone must die.

9) Mark Walden-H.I.V.E
Otto Malpense may only be thirteen years old, but so far he has managed to run the orphanage where he lives, and he has come up with a plan clever enough to trick the most powerful man in the country. He is the perfect candidate to become the world's next supervillain. That is why he ends up at H.I.V.E., handpicked to become a member of the incoming class. The students have been kidnapped and brought to a secluded island inside a seemingly active volcano, where the school has resided for decades. All the kids are elite; they are the most athletic, the most technically advanced, and the smartest in the country. Inside the cavernous marble rooms, floodlit hangars, and steel doors, the students are enrolled in Villainy Studies and Stealth and Evasion 101. But what Otto soon comes to realize is that this is a six-year program, and leaving is not an option.

With the help of his new friends: an athletic martial-arts expert; a world-famous, beautiful diamond thief; and a spunky computer genius -- the only other people who seem to want to leave -- can Otto achieve what has never been done before and break out of H.I.V.E.?

10) Kendra C Highley-Matt Archer Monster Hunter
Fourteen-year-old Matt Archer spends his days studying Algebra, hanging out with his best friend and crushing on the Goddess of Greenhill High, Ella Mitchell. To be honest, he thinks his life is pretty lame until he discovers something terrifying on a weekend camping trip at the local state park. Monsters are real. And living in his backyard. But that's not the half of it. After Matt is forced to kill a strange creature to save his uncle, he finds out that the weird knife he took from his uncle's bag has a secret, one that will change Matt's life. The knife was designed with one purpose: to hunt monsters. And it's chosen Matt as its wielder.

Now Matt's part of a world he didn't know existed, working with a covert military unit dedicated to eliminating walking nightmares. Faced with a prophecy about a looming dark war, Matt soon realizes his upcoming Algebra test is the least of his worries. His new double life leaves Matt wondering which is tougher: hunting monsters or asking Ella Mitchell for a date?

Book Review: Death Blows by DD Barant (Bloodhound Files #2)

FBI profiler Jace Valchek was pulled into this parallel realm to hunt for Aristotle Stoker, a human serial killer who preys on vampires and werewolves. Now she works for the National Security Agency of the Unnatural States of America - and her boss is a vampire.

At a bizarre crime scene, Jace finds a bloodsucker murdered by magic, fried to the bone and dressed in the costume of the comic book hero the Flash - a character who isn't supposed to exist here. Comic books have been outlawed for their powers, including crossover spells like the one that transported Jace to this world. Soon, she's following a trail of dead bodies into the sinister underworld of black-market comics - where a deranged madman gives new meaning to the term "super-villain."

My Review:
Jace has been chasing Stoker for months and wants to catch him quickly so that she can be released from her contract and go back to her own world but it is proving to be more complicated than she thought. The shaman who summoned her is no longer available to send her home and Cassius is giving her other complicated cases to work on which diverts her away from Stoker again. Someone is committing brutal murders and displaying the bodies dressed as superheroes from comic books in Jace's world. Here, comic books are banned because they have hidden power so Jace has to delve into black market comics and inter dimensional travel if she is to find out who is doing it and why.

Jace learns that the first discovered victim of this new killer was the lover of her vampire friend and colleague Gretchen and they had just committed to have a baby together. It seems that Saladin was part of a group of superheroes who stopped a cult of evil doers, immortalised in a comic book that is now illegal and Jace is sure that they may have been real life heroes too, meaning the rest of the group may be targets for the killer. Has the deadly cult reemerged or has a member of the Bravo Brigade turned on their former colleagues? Jace and Charlie set out to discover the killer but find that Cassius is again withholding vital information from them, which has Jace considering her position. It turns out that the truth is more than she expected.

There is also a side story happening that Jace gets involved in. A creepy werewolf called Tair has been hanging around watching Dr Pete and he approaches Jace to warn her that her friend is involved in illegal activities and that people in his past are looking for him. Jace wants to help Dr Pete but he vanishes before she can get any answers and again she is finding that Cassius is reluctant to do anything to help her with that investigation. I can understand her frustration. Pulled into another world against your will to become a special consultant on a case that you are being prevented from pursuing to work on a case where your boss won't help you to get the job done? 

I'm not a reader of comics and I don't really watch the superhero films so I didn't get most of the comic book references. The author goes into detail about the origin stories of a few characters in the comics, the confused timelines in the comic book world caused by countless illustrators doing their own versions of stories, bringing characters back from the dead or turning them evil...I feel that a reader who loves this world would get more out of this plot than I did. I found it a bit confusing especially the final reveal of the plot that the bad guy was following-I got a bit lost and wasn't fully invested in what was going on at that stage. I also didn't really get some of the inter dimensional stuff which was a bit over my head at times and I'd have preferred a less complex plot. I also wasn't really keen on where the Tair story went at the end.

I loved the introducting of the crime fighting golem gunslinger The Quicksilver Kid as a new character and I certainly hope that we see him again in future books. I found his back story to be really interesting and want to learn more about him. I find the golems to be the most interesting part of this world. Charlie was his usual amusing self though I do wish that Jace was a bit more appreciative of him at times. Charlie does remain my favourite character. It was also interesting to find out a bit more about Cassius and his background as the book progressed. I also liked the way that he stepped up to help Gretchen in her hour of need, showing that he does care about his employees.   

I also like some of the worldbuilding that we get which Jace gradually finds out about. In order for vampires to breed they had to gain the help of a god to grant them that power, a spell that required the sacrifice of many humans which was of course barbaric genocide. Now vampires can use magic to create a child together with each parent donating a bit of their eternal life and aging so many years each until the 'child' reaches the age that they want he or she to be, and the spell ends, leaving the parents a few years older and the offspring as a fully functional vampire. I found that whole thing imaginative and fascinating to read about. I also liked that the spell surrounding weapons was explored in more detail as Jace comes to understand why people on her new world don't take her gun seriously.

I did have niggles with this book because of my lack of knowledge about comic books and science so for me it wasn't as good as the first book, but it was still another solid read in the series and I will certainly continue with it when time and mood allows.

Read November 2019
3.5/4 stars?

Chuckles Mini Reviews Catchup-Game of Thrones

I review everything I read, on my blog and on Goodreads. Most reviews are of a decent length but sometimes you don't have much to say about the book because of its length or you DNFed it or various other reasons. In cases like that it makes sense to write a few mini reviews in one post and clear them out your way! So lets catch up with some reviews from November!

1) Game of Thrones Costumes
Discover the secrets behind creating the costumes for HBO’s Game of Thrones in this definitive guide. The official guide to the complete costumes of HBO’s landmark television series Game of Thrones. Discover how BAFTA and Emmy Award-winning costume designer Michele Clapton dressed the heroes and villains of Westeros and beyond, including Daenerys Targaryen, Cersei Lannister, Jon Snow, and Arya Stark. One of 4 comprehensive and officially licensed Game of Thrones retrospective books from Insight Editions.

• CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED - “...peruse the best of the robes, gowns, coats, and suits of armor that made up the rich fabric of Westeros in Game of Thrones: The Costumes.”—Vanity Fair
• LEARN HOW COSTUMES DEFINED CHARACTERS - 440 pages of in-depth interviews and commentary on how costume design helped convey the evolution of George RR Martin’s beloved characters such as Tyrion Lannister, Sansa Stark, and Brienne of Tarth.
• SEE EXCLUSIVE IMAGES AND DESIGNS - Over 1,000 exclusive and rarely seen images including Michelle Clapton’s designs and original concept sketches.
• HEAR FROM THE SHOW’S CREATORS - Features an exclusive foreword from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
• AN EYECATCHING COFFEE TABLE BOOK - Deluxe 9.75 × 13 inch format.

I thought this might be the book out of the three that I least liked because it was all about the costumes but I loved this book! It is a huge heavy slab of an encyclopedia, and it covers the book characters and the individual looks created for them. I had no idea that the costumes told such a story. After a colour scheme and selection of material were chosen for ie the people in the North, the designer then looked at each character. It was explained how for example Sansa began as the girl who wanted to be a princess and queen, dressing better than her sister then copying Cersei at King's Landing, wearing her hair in the southern style as she tried to be a lady. It then explains her changing costumes as her life goes through changes-the death of her family, learning from Littlefinger, marrying Ramsay, becoming Lady of Winterfell and Queen in the North. A story appears giving a reason for the dragonflies on her dress, every bead and piece of jewellery-every single stitch and clasp has a meaning and it was fascinating to read this for each character. I'll never look at the costumes the same way and I'm amazed at the amount of thought that went into each outfit.

Read November 2019
5 stars. 

2) The Photography of Game of Thrones
Enter the world of HBO’s global television phenomenon Game of Thrones with The Photography of Game of Thrones—the definitive photographic collection from the set of the hit series. Witness how official unit stills photographer and Nikon ambassador Helen Sloan and the unit photography team selected 850 incredible images from the production of HBO’s legendary series Game of Thrones, including candid, never before seen images of cast and crew. Enjoy exclusive access and images directly from the set as George RR Martin’s world of Westeros was translated to the TV screen.

One of 4 comprehensive and officially licensed Game of Thrones retrospective books from Insight Editions.

• UNPRECEDENTED ACCESS - 416 pages of images, details, and anecdotes covering Game of Thrones seasons 1-8.
• EXCLUSIVE IMAGES - Curated from an archive of 1.5 million photos. Enjoy over 850 hand-selected images direct from the set.
• UNSEEN MOMENTS - View legendary characters such as Tyrion, Daenerys, Cersei, Jaime, Brienne, and Jon Snow uniquely captured through Helen Sloan’s lens.
• HEAR FROM THE SHOW’S CREATORS - Features an exclusive foreword from Game of Thrones showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss.
• A PRESTIGE COFFEE TABLE BOOK - Deluxe 9.75 × 13 inch format.
  
This wasn't as good as the costumes book as the way it was set out was not a great presentation. Instead of dividing the photographs by season or geographical location it was decided to split them up based on what the author thought fitted into each of the Seven-and it meant a complete mish mash of photos from each season on the same page with no coherant reason for the display. It was pretty annoying. For example under the heading of The Father...we get a shot of every cast member to start us off. The Chapter headed The Mother has a discussion about alliances and photos of fathers with their children. It showed no real sense that it was done this way. The two page intro to each aspect may well have been written by someone who never watched the series judging by the plot mistakes and pretenscious sounding waffle. For example it described Sam as a poor ranger-which of course he never was a ranger, just a steward who went north of the Wall with the ravens in place of Maester Aemon who was too frail to make the journey. I found this annoying.

I also expected better quality in the actual photographs. There are some photographs like Ned at the heart tree which are visually stunning as are some of those taken in good lighting and the battle scenes. It is when the scenes go indoors into reduced lighting that the quality reduces a bit. Some are well lit in these darkened scenes to show emotion from the characters but there are some that are so dark that I question the wisdom of including them at all. One of Yara and Theon is so dark I could barely make out who it was meant to be. With over a million images snapped, I did wonder about the choices made. I guess I expected a bit more from this than what I got. It was still nice to look at the photographs but setting it out better would have certainly raised my rating.

Read November 2019
3.5 stars.