Book Promo: The Water Travelers by Daniel Waltz

Welcome to another book promo on Lipsyy Lost & Found, where I’m always thrilled to support independent authors and publishers.

The Water Travelers is an epic 7 part YA/Fantasy/Romance series by Daniel Waltz. Book one, Heir of the Unknown was released in 2014 and book two, The Curse of Senapin was released in April.

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The Water Travelers: Heir of the Unknown

Author: Daniel Waltz
Editions: Paperback/Kindle/e-Book
Publication Details: July 14th 2014 by Createspace
Genre(s): Fantasy; Romance; YA

Goodreads // Amazon // Website

Adventure finds those who are brave enough to take the first step.

Aaron never wanted to pursue kingship, but his care for the lives of his people forced him toward it. When his father, The King of Upitar, sends him on a quest to find a girl who was prophesied long ago to destroy their world, Aaron finds himself fighting the option of running away forever or fulfilling his destiny as the Heir of Upitar.

By water traveling, a gift his people have that allows them to go back and forth between their world and Earth through water, Aaron starts this adventure with thousands of thoughts and questions racing around his head.

While on his journey, he inadvertently meets the very girl he’s sent to kill, Madalyne Harper. Without knowing it’s her, an unlikely romance between the sarcastic and daring Madalyne Harper begins to flourish with the rebellious and curious, Prince Aaron Archien. As they grow closer, Aaron begins to learn of secrets within the Harper family regarding water travelers. Wanting to learn more, and wanting an excuse to hang out with Madi, Aaron continues to delay his original mission. As family problems and outside forces press down on them, Aaron and Madi soon find themselves running away together.

Everything between them is great until Aaron learns the girl he has connected so well with is the same girl he’s going to have to kill…

The Water Travelers: The Curse of the Senapin

Sometimes destiny has an unconventional way of bringing people together.

For the past six months, Aaron and Madi have been waiting to receive word from Yerowslii. But, when the King of Upitar is taken captive by Senapin forces, Aaron and Madi must flee their hiding place to rescue him. Although skeptical of it, they are accompanied by a disloyal ally, Ugine.

While on this new world, they are ambushed and taken prisoner by different groups who have been waiting for their arrival. In the midst the chaos, loyalties are tested, truths are challenged, and friends become enemies. Everything hinges on the hope that evil cannot exist without good. All is in question when secrets are revealed, but regardless of affiliation, whether one’s for him or against him, this remains true:

Herrathos is moving.

Publication Details: April 15th 2015 by Createspace

Goodreads // Amazon // Website

Meet the Author

Dan is a twenty-year-old writer who has always loved telling a story. He started The Water Travelers series his senior year of high school and hopes for it to be with him forever. Along with writing, he loves traveling the world, biking, hanging out with friends and trying new foods. Dan is an avid adventurer who frequently gets lost for fun. To find out more about him check out his social media outlets below.

Links

Twitter: @daniel_waltz
Blog
The Water Travelers Facebook Page

The Word on the Goodreads Street

A very interesting and unique concept for a story. It took an adventure plot line to another level!”

– Casey

“A great fantasy read” – Heather Lawson

“I really enjoyed this book. I loved the whole water traveling aspect!! I really enjoyed envisioning my own version of Upitar!” – Danielle

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If you are an author, publisher or agent and would like to be featured on Lipsyy Lost & Found, drop me message on lipsyylostnfound[at]gmail[dot]com

This Week in Books 29.07.15

Welcome to my weekly post, where I sum-up what I’ve been up to in bookland the past week.

I hope you’re all having a good week!

Now: The Curse of Crow Hollow ~ Billy Coffey

This has been interesting so far but I’m not loving it yet!

Then: The Dark Heroine ~ Abigail Gibbs

I loved parts of this book and hated others. My review will be up next week.

Next: ???

I finally sorted out my outstanding review requests so the next one will be Wonder Light by R.R Russell

New on the Shelf

(Linking up with Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews) and Friday Finds hosted by A Daily Rhythm.

Purchased: I didn’t buy any books this week.

Netgalley: I was approved for Lost Girl by R.L Stine

Generations of children and teens have grown up on R.L. Stine’s bestselling and hugely popular horror series, Fear Street and Goosebumps. Now, the Fear Street series is back with a chilling new instalment, packed with pure nightmare fodder that will scare Stine’s avid fan base of teen readers and adults.

New student Lizzy Palmer is the talk of Shadyside High. Michael and his girlfriend Pepper befriend her, but the closer they get to her, the stranger she seems… and the more attractive she is to Michael. He invites her to join him on a snowmobile race that ends in a tragic accident. Soon, Michael’s friends start being murdered, and Pepper becomes convinced that Lizzy is behind the killings. But to her total shock, she and Michael are drawn into a tragic story of an unthinkable betrayal committed over 60 years ago.

Frightening and tense in the way that only this master of horror can deliver, The Lost Girl is another terrifying Fear Street novel by the king of juvenile horror. Expected publication: September 29th 2015 by St. Martin’s Griffin

I’m Waiting On…

(Linking up with Breaking the Spine)

The World According to Anne ~ Jostein Gaarder

When sixteen-year-old Anna begins receiving messages from another time, her parents take her to the doctor. But he can find nothing wrong with Anna; in fact he believes there may be some truth to what she is seeing.

Anna is haunted by visions of the desolate world of 2082. She sees her great-granddaughter, Nova, in a wasteland peopled by ragged survivors, after animals and plants have died out.

The more Anna sees, the more she realises she must act to prevent the future in her visions becoming real. But can she act quickly enough?

Haunting, gripping and magical, The World According to Anna is a fable for our time. Expected Publication: 12th November 2015 by Orion

So, that’s my week in books, now how about yours?

If you still do a similar WWW post (or just want to join in, leave your link/answers in the comments, OR why not tweet using #TWIB, and I’ll come and visit!

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Nerds

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish (click the link to visit them) who pick a different topic each week.

This week the topic is: Ten Characters Who Are Fellow Book Nerds (love reading, are writers, work at a bookstore, etc.)

I went for characters from both books, movies and TV. Gotta love a book nerd in any capacity.

1. Meggie & Mo ~ Inkheart
Mo is a book collector and his love of books has been passed on to his daughter Meggie, but why doesn’t he read to her anymore?

2. Rory Gilmore ~ Gilmore Girls

3. Giles ~ Buffy the Vampire Slayer

4. Charlie ~ The Perks of Being a Wallflower
Charlie is such a beautiful character. There’s a lot more to him than just being a book nerd!

5. Flavia de Luce ~ The Flavia de Luce Mysteries
Flavia is too clever for her own good. She has taught herself everything she knows about chemistry and solving mysteries by reading and experimenting.

6. Bastian ~ The Neverending Story

7. Sarah ~ Labyrinth

8. Liesel ~ The Book Thief
People burning books in the street is the least of Liesel’s worries, but still…hell no!

9. Belle ~ Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
“It’s not right for a woman to read”

10. Bella ~ Twilight
I don’t exactly share Bella’s taste in books, but I loved that she’s a reader who never quite fit in…apart from with the Vampires, of course!

An Over-Due Apology (and what’s coming up)!

It’s confession and apology time here at Lipsyy Lost & Found.

I’ve completely neglected review requests over the past year. I mean, I knew I was really behind, but I recently did some much needed blog admin and went through all my emails since I started blogging and realised just how many requests I accepted and never followed through on.

Authors, I’m sorry. I hereby apologise for being so rubbish!

But, I’m here to make amends. August & September will now be Review Request months.

Here’s what you can expect to see over the next few months…

Wonder Light ~ R.R Russell

I read and reviewed the second book in the Unicorns of the Mist series when I downloaded it from Netgalley, not realising it was book two. After seeing my review, the author asked if I’d like to read the first book to get the full story and of course I accepted but then never got round to reading it. Bad blogger!

Release Date: 7/05/13 by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Date Received: 15/05/2014

Deep in the heart of a mist-shrouded island, an impossible secret is about to be discovered.

Twig is used to feeling unwanted. Sent to live on a pony ranch for “troubled” girls on a misty, haunted island, Twig is about to discover the impossible — someone who needs her.
Jolted awake from a bad dream, Twig follows the desperate whinny of a terrified horse out to the stables. There in the straw is a bleating little scrap of moonbeam. A silver-white filly with cloven hooves and a tiny, spiraling horn.

A baby unicorn.

Now Twig knows what secret is hiding in the island’s mist: the last free unicorn herd. And a mysterious boy named Ben who insists that this impossible creature is now Twig’s to care for. That she needs Twig’s love and protection. Because there’s something out there in the deep, dense shadows that’s hunting for them…

My Soul Immortal ~ Jen Printy

Release Date: 15/02/14 by Red Adept Publishing, LLC
Date Received: 20/08/2014

An endless love, for an endless price.

Jack’s immortality is exposed when he prevents a liquor store heist, forcing him to flee to protect his secret—a secret not even he understands. But when he meets Leah Winters—a mirror image of his decades-lost love, Lydia—his very soul is laid bare. He begins to question his sanity. Is she real, and if so, what does that mean for Jack and his secret?

Jack’s not the only mystery man in town. A stranger named Artagan hints at knowledge Jack is desperate to possess. But can he trust Artagan, or does the dark newcomer harbor deadly secrets of his own?

As Jack’s bond with Leah grows, so does the danger to her life. Jack must discover just how much he is willing to risk in order to save the woman he already lost once.

Grunge, Gods and Graveyards ~ Kimberly G. Giarratano

Kimberly did a wonderful Halloween playlist for me to post as part of last year’s Horror October, and I didn’t return the favour by reviewing her excellently named debut novel. The Shame!

Release Date: 31/05/14 by Red Adept Publishing, LLC
Date Received: 13/09/2014

Parted by death. Tethered by love.

Lainey Bloom’s high school senior year is a complete disaster. The popular clique, led by mean girl Wynter Woods, bullies her constantly. The principal threatens not to let her graduate with the class of 1997 unless she completes a major research project. And everyone blames her for the death of Wynter’s boyfriend, Danny Obregon.

Danny, a gorgeous musician, stole Lainey’s heart when he stole a kiss at a concert. But a week later, he was run down on a dangerous stretch of road. When he dies in her arms, she fears she’ll never know if he really would have broken up with Wynter to be with her.

Then his ghost shows up, begging her to solve his murder. Horrified by the dismal fate that awaits him if he never crosses over, Lainey seeks the dark truth amidst small town secrets, family strife, and divided loyalties. But every step she takes toward discovering what really happened the night Danny died pulls her further away from the beautiful boy she can never touch again.

Prophecy of Stones ~ Mishka Jenkins

Release Date: 31/07/14 by Smashwords Edition
Date Received: 18/08/2014

The bond of love can conquer all, but only if it is accepted.

Prophecy states that three champions imbued with the best virtues of the mortal race: heart, strength and soul, will be the ones to save them all from an enemy which threatens to steal the life from their world and those who live upon it.

These three, along with their scribe, his bond mate, and an overly sarcastic oracle, must set off on a journey which will take them through forest, city, swamp and mountain. On this quest they activate the magical stones which charge the only weapon powerful enough to defeat Tildar and his cult of Dwell.

Yet the closer they draw to journey’s end, the more it seems that it is not the evil which will be their downfall, but the fear of a champion unwilling to accept the bond of their destiny.

Prophecy of Stones is a tale of adventure, love and magic.

This Crumbling Pageant ~ Patricia Burroughs

Release Date: 6/05/14 by Story Spring Publishing
Date Received: 25/05/2015

Get ready to be swept away into a dark fantasy series that combines swashbuckling adventure, heart-pounding romance and plot-twisting suspense in equal measures.

Expect to hear more about Persephone Fury.

A lot more.

England, 1809. As fashionable Society streams toward London for the start of a new social season, they are unaware of a hidden magical England existing alongside. The Magi cathedrals are temples to the old gods. Reigning on their throne is not poor mad George, but the ailing King Pellinore of the House of Pendragon. But their wars are no less deadly.

The Furys are known for their extraordinary music, their powerful magic, and their historic role as kingmakers. But the Furys have their secrets as well, none so dangerous as the daughter whose Shadow magic spills from her, unchecked. Unless her powers are concealed, she’s not only ruined in Society, but marked as a target for those who would use and abuse her magic.

Persephone Fury is the Dark daughter, the one they hide.

But desperate times call for desperate measures, and a good marriage for this frightening daughter is desperately needed. On the night of her debut, her world comes crumbling down around her when she is abducted from the man she loves by the man she most loathes.

Evil powers circle, calling her to the destiny foretold at the moment of her birth, drawing her to the source of her power, to the one place she can finally be free.

By embracing the Shadows.

Persephone is ruthless, devious, and clever, but when confronted with the truth, she must make horrifying choices.

Can she defy destiny and seize her own fate?

Fancy any of these??

Horns by Joe Hill

Title: Horns
Author: Joe Hill
Series: N/A
Edition: Paperback, 437 pages
Publication Details: June 2nd 2011 by Gollancz
Genre(s): Horror
Disclosure? Nope, I borrowed it from a friend.

Goodreads // Purchase

Ignatius Perrish spent the night drunk and doing terrible things. He woke up the next morning with one hell of a hangover, a raging headache . . . and a pair of horns growing from his temples.

Once, Ig lived the life of the blessed: born into privilege, the second son of a renowned American musician, and the younger brother of a rising late-night TV star, Ig had security and wealth and a place in his community. Ig had it all, and more – he had the love of Merrin Williams, a love founded on shared daydreams, mutual daring, and unlikely midsummer magic.
Then beautiful, vivacious Merrin was gone – raped and murdered, under inexplicable circumstances – with Ig the only suspect. He was never tried for the crime, but in the court of public opinion, Ig was and always would be guilty.

Now Ig is possessed with a terrible new power – with just a touch he can see peoples’ darkest desires – to go with his terrible new look, and he means to use it to find the man who killed Merrin and destroyed his life. Being good and praying for the best got him nowhere. It’s time for a little revenge; it’s time the devil had his due.

Review

I saw the movie adaptation of Horns when it came out and really enjoyed it, despite not really liking Daniel Radcliffe as a leading man, and it really made me want to read the book.

I usually hate doing it that way round and will usually avoid the book if I’ve already seen a movie or TV version, but I’m so glad I gave Horns a go. It was pretty batshit, but I loved it.

Ig is a pretty troubled guy. His high-school girlfriend, Merrin – the love of his life, his one and only GF who he plans on marrying was raped and murdered, and the whole town is convinced it was by Ig’s hands when they discover that Merrin was planning to leave him.

At the beginning of the book (and the film), Ig wakes up feeling hella rough after yet another night of heavy drinking and casual sex…nothing new there, until he looks in the mirror and see that he’s grown horns overnight, and things get weirder and weirder from there on out.

Horns was definitely an experience. The first page was one of the best openers to a story I’ve ever read. I was stunned, and that’s after seeing the film and knowing what to expect. So good. I loved Joe Hill’s writing style; it was dark and delicious, with a brilliant black humour weaving through it.

The book explores what demonising someone can result in, and I loved the dark themes running through it. There is no ‘good Vs evil’ in Horns, it’s more like evil Vs the lesser evil. We are all evil in some ways, after all.

The movie seemed to stay pretty faithful to the book, which is great, but I definitely found the book even more sinister and mysterious. The only down side was that I lost interest a tad towards the end – I felt like it could have finished earlier!

However, I have the feeling that Horns is just the first of many Joe Hill books that I’ll enjoy.

This Week in Books 22.07.15

Welcome to my weekly post, where I sum-up what I’ve been up to in bookland the past week.

I’m back to business as usual after a busy couple of weeks. But that’s not busy in the reading sense, unfortunately!

Now: The Dark Heroine ~ Abigail Gibbs

There was a huge buzz – good and bad – surrounding this book when it first came out, and I was always intrigued by it. I picked a copy up from a charity shop a few weeks ago…can’t resist a vampire romance, obviously.

Then: Horns ~ Joe Hill

The last one I finished was Horns, which I really liked but it went on a bit. My review will be up next week sometime. I also finished Kiss Kiss by Roald Dahl. I posted a mini review at the weekend.

Next: ???

I still need to sort out my outstanding review requests – I’ll be posting about them this week. I don’t know which is first on my hit list yet.

New on the Shelf

(Linking up with Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga’s Reviews) and Friday Finds hosted by A Daily Rhythm.

Purchased: I didn’t buy any books or make any requests this week!

Wishlist: I did add a couple of books to the wishlist though:

I saw Flunked on the great Pages Unbound and had to add it to my list!

Full of regret, Cinderella’s wicked stepmother, Flora, has founded the Fairy Tale Reform School with the mission of turning the wicked and criminally mischievous into upstanding members of Enchantasia.

Impish, sassy 12-year-old Gilly has a history of petty theft and she’s not too sorry about it. When she lifts a hair clip, she gets tossed in reform school-for at least three months. But when she meets fellow students Jax and Kayla, she learns there’s more to this school than its sweet mission. There’s a battle brewing and she starts to wonder: can a villain really change?

I first saw Guardian of the Dead over at Wingedcreature Reads and was stunned by the cover. It sounds great too!

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school. She hangs out with her best friend, Kevin; she obsesses over Mark, a cute and mysterious bad boy; and her biggest worry is her paper deadline.

But then everything changes. The news headlines are all abuzz about a local string of killings that share the same morbid trademark: the victims were discovered with their eyes missing. Then a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie’s circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with Kevin, and a crazed old man grabs Ellie in a public square and shoves a tattered Bible into her hands, exclaiming, “You need it. It will save your soul.” Soon, Ellie finds herself plunged into a haunting world of vengeful fairies in an epic battle for immortality.

Debut author Karen Healey introduces a savvy and spirited heroine with a fresh, strong voice. Full of deliciously creepy details, this incredible adventure is a deftly crafted story of Māori mythology, romance, and betrayal.

I’m Waiting on…

(Linking up with Breaking the Spine)

The Dead House ~ Dawn Kurtagich

This debut by Dawn Kurtagich sounds all kinds of good!

Over two decades have passed since the fire at Elmbridge High, an inferno that took the lives of three teenagers. Not much was known about the events leading up to the tragedy – only that one student, Carly Johnson, vanished without a trace…

…until a diary is found hidden in the ruins.

But the diary, badly scorched, does not belong to Carly Johnson. It belongs to Kaitlyn Johnson, a girl who shouldn’t exist Who was Kaitlyn? Why did she come out only at night? What is her connection to Carly?

The case has been reopened. Police records are being reexamined: psychiatric reports, video footage, text messages, e-mails. And the diary.

The diary that paints a much more sinister version of events than was ever made publicly known. Expected publication: September 15th 2015 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

So, that’s my week in books, now how about yours?

If you still do a similar WWW post (or just want to join in, leave your link/answers in the comments, OR why not tweet using #ThisWeekInBooks, and I’ll come and visit!

Top Ten Tuesday: Celebrating Diversity!

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish (click the link to visit them) who pick a different topic each week.

This week the topic is: Ten Books That Celebrate Diversity/Diverse Characters (example: features minority/religious minority, socioeconomic diversity, disabled MC, neurotypical character, LGBTQ etc etc.)

When I first saw the topic for this week, I thought I’d find it hard to narrow it down to just 10 books, but when I came to pick them, I realised I didn’t have as many in the ‘already read’ column as I thought. I totally need to diversify!!

I’ve therefore split my list into my favourite 5 books which celebrate diversity and 5 on my TBR list.

My Top 5 Favourite Books Which Celebrate Diversity

1. Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe ~ Benjamin Alire Sáenz: This book celebrates love and friendship in the most beautiful of ways. It explores not just sexuality but identity and race too. Read it. ❤

2. Noughts & Crosses ~ Malorie Blackman: A book about prejudice where the dark-skinned are the ruling class and the light-skinned are on the bottom rung of society.

3. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time ~ Mark Haddon: A witty, realistic insight into living with Asperger’s Syndrome.

4. The Lunar Chronicles ~ Marissa Meyer: Cyborgs like Cinder are second-class citizens in New Beijing. I love everything about this series!

5. She is Not Invisible ~ Marcus Sedgwick: This book explores people’s preconceptions about blindness. Laurel is blind, not stupid, and she’s definitely not invisible!

Top 5 Books on my TBR List Which Celebrate Diversity

1. Golden Boy ~ Abigail Tarttelin: I’ve heard mixed reviews regarding this book about Intersex, but I really want to read it.

2. 5 to 1 ~ Holly Bodger: Bringing a whole new meaning to arranged marriages, this book sounds epic. ‘In the year 2054, after decades of gender selection, India now has a ratio of five boys for every girl, making women an incredibly valuable commodity. Tired of marrying off their daughters to the highest bidder and determined to finally make marriage fair, the women who form the country of Koyanagar have instituted a series of tests so that every boy has the chance to win a wife.’

3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian ~ Sherman Alexie: This has been hovering at the top of my wishlist for years! I don’t think I’ve read any YA focussed on being a Native American before.

4.Luna ~ Julie Ann Peters: By night Liam transforms himself into Luna. His story his told through the eyes of his sister.

5. Grasshopper Jungle ~ Andrew Smith: This book has been described to me as ‘a completely batshit coming of age story that will change your life – with giant praying mantises’. The protagonist is Polish and struggling with his sexuality despite being in love with his girlfriend.

Leave a link to your post and I’ll come visit. Looking forward to seeing what everyone chose this week!

The Ring of Morgana by Donna Hosie

Title: The Ring of Morgana
Author: Donna Hosie
Series: The Children of Camelot #1
Edition: Kindle, 310 pages
Publication Details: April 28th 2014
Genre(s): YA; Fantasy; Arthurian
Disclosure? Nope, I bought it!

Goodreads // Purchase

Sixteen-year-old Mila Roth wants to be normal. It’s a phrase that has been drilled into her by her mother since she was born.

But Mila Roth is anything but normal. For sixteen years her parents have hidden a secret from her. For Mila was born one thousand years ago in the land of Logres, and far from being a math teacher and a housewife, Mila’s parents are the awakened King Arthur and Gorian druid queen, Morgana.

Two worlds, one thousand years apart. And those worlds are about to collide.

The spirit of the malevolent Lady of the Lake has been contained for sixteen years in the fabled Ring of Morgana. When the ring curses Mila’s younger sister, Lilly, the Roth family has no choice but to return Mila to the land of her birth as they face a battle against time itself.

Accompanied by her best friend, Rustin, Mila will have to decide whether to defy those she loves in order to save her sister. Should she trust the Gorian druids and the mysterious Melehan? What is the true cost to Mila’s heart as she strives to master the purple flame? And why have her mother and father denied the truth of her origins for so long?

For she alone has the combined power of royalty and druid magic within her.

And now only Mila can save Lilly and Logres.

Review

I’m a big fan of Arthurian literature and love that there’s a market for it in the YA genre.

The Ring of Morgana was my first Donna Hosie read, but I’ll definitely be checking out her other series (The Return to Camelot) as well.

On paper, The Ring of Morgana sounds a bit ridiculous. Mila’s dad is the one and only King Arthur, who found a portal into another world, a modern world, and decided to leave Camelot to start afresh there with the once evil Morgana.

When Mila and her little sister Lilly find a strange glowing ring which begs them to try it on, Lilly gives in to its powers and is immediately cursed. She falls into a coma of sorts, and ages rapidly. After a visit from the wizard Merlin, whom no one seems to trust, it becomes apparent that it’s up to Mila and her best friend Rustin to save Lilly, and the only place they can do that is through the portal, into medieval Logres.

Like I said, it’s a slightly ridiculous plot, but the fact that I enjoyed it so much is a testament to Hosie’s writing. She definitely has a way of sucking you in, and her descriptive prose was spot on.

[Queen Guinevere] claps her hands twice and two young girls appear out of nowhere. It’s like they bled out of the stone walls”

For me, The Ring of Morgana felt like a unique take on Arthurian mythology – it felt fresh and exciting, and has left me with lots of unanswered questions, urging me to read on.

I’m intrigued as to why Arthur, and most of Logres are so wary of, and hostile towards Merlin when it seems like he’s the best person to help Lilly. What did he do? I really want to know how Arthur ended up with Morgana too, and if she’s truly good now, like we are expected to believe (I don’t believe it for a second btw).

And finally, I have to mention Mila – loved her! She’s an interesting protagonist who brings heart and humour into everything she does. I can’t wait to find out how she develops in this new, old world she finds herself in.

It doesn’t matter what time you live in, people will always bitch and gossip.”

-Mila Roth

Lazy Saturday Review(s): A few that got away…

I’ve fallen behind of late, so before I completely forget about these books I thought I’d do a quick catch-up in the shape of some teeny tiny reviews.

Title: The Testimony of the Hanged Man
Author: Ann Granger
Series: Lizzie Martin #5
Edition: Paperback, 400 pages
Publication Details: July 3rd 2014 by Headline
Genre(s): Mystery; Historical Fiction
Disclosure? Nope, I borrowed it!

Goodreads // Purchase

A hanged man would say anything to save his life. But what if his testimony is true? When Inspector Ben Ross is called to Newgate Prison by a man condemned to die by the hangman’s noose he isn’t expecting to give any credence to the man’s testimony. But the account of a murder he witnessed over seventeen years ago is so utterly believeable that Ben can’t help wondering if what he’s heard is true. It’s too late to save the man’s life, but it’s not too late to investigate a murder that has gone undetected for all these years.

Review

I initially picked this book up because it’s set partly on Putney Heath, which is where I lived when I was at uni. I like reading about places I know well, to see how the author portrays them, especially in another era. The Testimony of the Hanged Man is set in Victorian London, and is a classic mystery which unfolds at a slow pace.

I think if I read it all in one go, I would have enjoyed it more, but I only managed a few pages at a time. However, I still enjoyed it – and despite my pet peeve of alternating narrators too.

If you like traditional, light-hearted, Victorian detective fiction, give this series a go.

Title: Kiss Kiss
Author: Roald Dahl
Series: N/A
Edition: Paperback, 231 pages
Publication Details: October 26th 1987 by Penguin Books
Genre(s): Short Stories
Disclosure? Nope, I borrowed it!

Goodreads // Purchase

In these wickedly anarchic stories, Dahl explores the dark, sinister side of the psyche: the cunning, sly, selfish part of human nature that makes for unexpected outcomes and horrifying conclusions.

Review

I’ve wanted to read some of Dahl’s adult fiction for ages so I picked this up for my lunch-time read when I spotted it in the library. I read most of the stories in this collection, and came out with mixed feelings. The collection was first published in 1959, and you can tell; it hasn’t aged well.

The stories are not what I would call anarchic or horrifying in today’s meaning of the terms, but they were interesting, funny and slightly odd – as you would expect from Roald Dahl. I enjoyed Mrs Bixby and the Colonel’s Coat the most.

Title: Badjelly the Witch
Author: Spike Milligan
Series: N/A
Edition: Hardback, 64 pages
Publication Details: October 19th 2000 by Virgin Books (first published 1973)
Genre(s): Children’s; Picture Books
Disclosure? Nope, I borrowed it.

Goodreads // Purchase

Badjelly The Witch can turn children into sausages or chop them up to make boy-girl soup. She can turn policemen into apple trees or bananas into mice and she is the wickedest witch in all the world.

A charming fairy tale which has delighted children for many years, this edition is copiously illustrated with Spike Milligan’s own drawings which have been specially adapted and beautifully hand coloured.

Review

Spike Milligan’s Silly Verse for Kids was one of my favourite books when I was little, but I never read this one. I’m so glad I eventually got round to reading it! It’s exactly as bonkers as you’d expect – loved it!

Definitely a fun, wacky book to read to young children.

This Week in Books 15.07.2015

Welcome to my weekly post, where I sum-up what I’ve been up to in bookland the past week. Better late than never, right?

Now: Horns ~ Joe Hill // Kiss Kiss ~ Roald Dahl

I’m still reading both of these as I had almost no reading time last week! But hopefully things will calm down now.

Then: The Ring of Morgana ~ Donna Hosie

The last one I finished was a modern take on Arthurian tales. I really need to catch up on reviews! 😦

Next: ???

I’m going to work on getting control of my review request list! I don’t know where this month has gone! Ahh!

If you still do a similar WWW post (or just want to join in, leave your link/answers in the comments, OR why not tweet using #ThisWeekInBooks, and I’ll come and visit!