Friday, September 26, 2014

Book Review: Stardust by Neil Gaiman


Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Stand alone book
Publisher: Avon Books
Release Date: 1 February 1999
Read Date: 14 September 2014
Tagged under: 2014 read, 4, fairy tale, fantasy, adult fiction, book review

Welcome to the village of Wall...

Young Tristan Thorn has lost his heart to beautiful Victoria Forester. But Victoria is cold and distant - as distant, in fact, as the star she and Tristan see fall from the sky on a crisp October evening. For the coveted prize of Victoria's hand, Tristan vows to retrieve the fallen star and deliver it to his beloved. It is an oath that sends the lovelorn swain over the ancient wall dividing the village from the adjacent meadow, and propels him into a world that is strange beyond imagining. But Tristan is not the only one seeking the heavenly jewel. There are those from whom it promises youth and beauty, the key to a kingdom, and the rejuvenation of dark dormant magics. And a lad compelled by love will have to keep his wits about him to succeed and survive in this secret place where fallen stars come in many guises - and where quests have a way of branching off in unexpected directions, even turning back upon themselves in space and time. 

Friday, September 19, 2014

Feature Follow Friday: Blogger Pet Peeves


Feature Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee Alison Can Read. It's a way for bloggers and readers alike to make some new friends and gain some new followers as well. The point of this hop is to follow other bloggers. I follow you, you follow me.

Also, this week's featured blogger is Book Cat Pin so make sure you check them out too.


While I do prefer GFC and/or Bloglovin follows, if you would like to follow me via email/twitter etc, that's great too! Also, please leave a comment so I can follow you back!


Thursday, September 18, 2014

Book Tag: Book Reading Habits

Source: Unsplash

The Book Reading Habits Tag

Last week, my good friend Vicki W nominated me for the Book Reading Habits Tag. For her answers to the following list of questions, click here

1. Do you have a certain place for reading at home?
I can read anywhere but I do find myself reading in bed a lot, right before bedtime. This is a dangerous habit since if I'm really enjoying what I am reading at the time, I might stay awake the whole night reading! 

2. Do you use a bookmark or a random piece of paper?
Before this year, I rarely needed bookmarks because when I read, I generally have a lot of time in my hands for reading and I can usually finish a book in one or two sittings. However, now that I am working this year and my reading time is a lot more sporadic, I have become very dependent on bookmarks. Generally, I use my Book Depository bookmarks but if I accidentally lose them, which I tend to do a lot, any receipt or piece of paper will do.

3. Can you just stop reading or does it need to be at the end of a chapter or a certain number of pages?
At the end of any action would probably be my answer. If that is in the middle of a chapter, than I'll stop there. If a chapter ends in a cliff-hanger, than I must continue reading!

4. Do you eat or drink while reading?
Very rarely, especially since the majority of my reading is either done in bed or on the train commuting to and from work.

5. Do you read one book at a time or several at once?
Again, before this year, I have almost always read just one book at a time. But now that my reading has become sporadic, I have found myself splitting my attention between multiple books. Big thick novel are usually left at home and ebooks are almost exclusive for reading whilst commuting. 

6. Do you read out loud or silently in your head?
I don't think I have ever read out loud a novel before! Maybe during English class back in high school but that is probably it.

7. Do you ever read ahead or skip pages?
I try to avoid doing that but in particularly bad books that I just want to finish and get it over with, I have been known to skim read. 

8. Breaking the spine or keeping it new?
My books, I will always try to keep it new. But I enjoy reading well-loved books because I can actually break the spine and not be too careful with them. Is that weird of me? :)

9. Do you write in your books?
Only during high school English classes. Otherwise, no. If I really want to note something down, I will use sticky notes instead. 

10. What are you currently reading?
I just finished the Night Circus and thoroughly loved it. My next read... still debating at this point in time.

My nominations for this tag are:
1. Missie @ A Flurry of Ponderings
2. Jessica @ A Great Read
3. Jackie @ Bibliobrat
4. Sashwilson @ Disappear Into Reading

Over to you guys! :D 
Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Book Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Standalone book
Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell
Release Date: 13 September 2011
Read Date: 16 September 2014
Tagged under: 2014 fiction, 2014 favourites, 4, fantasy, adult fiction, historical, romance, book review

The Circus arrives without warning.
No announcement precede it...
It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.

In 1886, a mysterious travelling circus becomes an international sensation. Open only at night, constructed entirely in black and white, Le Cirque des Reves delights all who wander its circular paths and warm themselves at its bonfire. 
Although there are acrobats, fortune-tellers and contortionists, the Circus of Dreams is no conventional spectacle. Some tents contain clouds, some ice. The circus seems almost to cast a spell over its aficionados, who call themselves the reveurs - the dreamers. At the heart of the story is the tangled relationship between two young magicians, Celia, the enchanter's daughter, and Marco, the sorcerer's apprentice. At the behest of their shadowy masters, they find themselves locked in a deadly contest, forced to test the very limits of the imagination, and of their love...

Friday, September 12, 2014

Feature Follow Friday: Before Blogging


Feature Follow Friday is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee Alison Can Read. It's a way for bloggers and readers alike to make some new friends and gain some new followers as well. The point of this hop is to follow other bloggers. I follow you, you follow me.

Also, this week's featured bloggers are Something to Browse and Books to the Teaso make sure you check them out too.

While I do prefer GFC and/or Bloglovin follows, if you would like to follow me via email/twitter etc, that's great too! Also, please leave a comment so I can follow you back!