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patchworkbunny's Reviews (2.12k)
Is it possible to write a book that hits the bestseller charts in every category? That’s the idea washed up author Titus Jensen and radical poet Eddie X come up with whilst more than a little drunk. In the cold light of day, Titus takes the idea to his editor behind Eddie’s back. The race is on to write the best book in the world…but is Titus really the man to do it?
The breathalyser laptop had me laughing out loud for real. I would say read this book just for those bits; genius! I loved Astra, his editor. She wasn’t convinced Titus could cope but she wanted The Book and gave him a good dose of tough love. I think if you follow any number of publishers and/or authors, there’s plenty in this satire to amuse. There are many stories about writers but probably none that come this close to the truth. It does make me wonder how many books start off as drunken ideas…
The reading out from old books didn’t quite work. I can imagine it being entertaining in person but in the book it is just like a passage from a random book. This caused the pace to drag in places although I think it could work well in audio format with the right narrator. There were other segments that were potentially interesting, such as a lesson in Dali, if you’re interested in Dali. But again, it detracts a little from the plot. I suppose it’s be trying to mirror its fictional counterpart, be as many genres as possible by sneaking in art history and poetry and whatever else. I did like the “cookery” element where he’s trying to work out the four season pizza though and the thriller bits work well.
The title in itself will have people picking up the book to find out more. It may not be the best book in the world but it’s certainly an interesting read for anyone interested in books.
Review copy provided by publisher.
The breathalyser laptop had me laughing out loud for real. I would say read this book just for those bits; genius! I loved Astra, his editor. She wasn’t convinced Titus could cope but she wanted The Book and gave him a good dose of tough love. I think if you follow any number of publishers and/or authors, there’s plenty in this satire to amuse. There are many stories about writers but probably none that come this close to the truth. It does make me wonder how many books start off as drunken ideas…
The reading out from old books didn’t quite work. I can imagine it being entertaining in person but in the book it is just like a passage from a random book. This caused the pace to drag in places although I think it could work well in audio format with the right narrator. There were other segments that were potentially interesting, such as a lesson in Dali, if you’re interested in Dali. But again, it detracts a little from the plot. I suppose it’s be trying to mirror its fictional counterpart, be as many genres as possible by sneaking in art history and poetry and whatever else. I did like the “cookery” element where he’s trying to work out the four season pizza though and the thriller bits work well.
The title in itself will have people picking up the book to find out more. It may not be the best book in the world but it’s certainly an interesting read for anyone interested in books.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Sally Mitchell is the first person to be saved by their SymboGen implant; a genetically modified tapeworm that has changed medical treatment worldwide. After a near-fatal car crash, she was pronounced brain dead only to reawaken moments before the plug was pulled. Six years later, Sal prefers not to be called Sally; she isn’t that girl any more. In fact she has no memory of the life she lived before.
Reading Parasite made me aware that I know a fair amount about parasites. What may seem like a far-fetched cautionary tale is rooted in science fact. Tapeworms have been known to have beneficial qualities as well as a whole bunch of unsavoury side effects. They can travel beyond the intestines in your body. There are plenty of parasites that actually exist that control their hosts in the most extraordinary ways; I have watched many a natural history documentary that screamed science fiction except that they are real.
And we are facing a world where our immune systems are back firing and excessive use of antibiotics are creating resistant strains. It’s not so hard to see science turning to living, symbiotic cures for all our ailments. Even Sal’s recovery put me in mind of one of the miracle survivors of rabies I read about in Rabid; having to learn to walk and talk from scratch as an adult is an arduous, but thankfully rare, task. It does make Sal an amazingly endearing characters and that is where the strength of this book lies beyond the science; in the amazing characterisation.
It’s refreshing to have a love interest that is already established. It makes it not about the romance but Nathan is a wonderful supporting presence and possibly the perfect boyfriend. His in depth knowledge of parasites is also handy in the circumstances. Sal is at times naïve and sometimes slow on the uptake but considering she is only mentally 6 years old, she’s doing pretty well and is full of character and self-awareness. She is kind to animals and she likes learning new slang but she’s also happy to admit when she doesn’t understand something. She also call in the experts instead of running straight into danger by herself. Smart girl.
There is also one of the best canine characters I’ve read. You can tell an animal loving author through the qualities of the animals in the pages and Beverly is wonderfully expressive. I think you’d be able to tell she was a Labrador even without being told; the full body tail wag is a dead giveaway. I worried about this dog more than some of the humans! Tansy was also a fantastic character who made me laugh; to say more about her would involve spoilers I’m afraid.
It’s a story with a lot of leads that will help you work out what is going on well before the characters. Well, before Sal, because I think there are many that know a lot more than they are letting on. Perhaps because the science and theory seemed right to me, and strangely familiar, I wasn’t distracted by it in the early stages and I instinctively guessed the big secret right away. However I loved the characters so much it didn’t matter that I felt the conclusion was inevitable but some may find it predictable. Then there’s always the chance that I could be wrong, especially with one or two things that, at the time, seemed to throw me off the scent.
There were parts of Parasite that reminded me of Feed and others of her writing under her own name, Seanan McGuire. I think she’s managed to meld the best of both worlds into this and I look forward to more. The ending is definitely an opening for a series.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Reading Parasite made me aware that I know a fair amount about parasites. What may seem like a far-fetched cautionary tale is rooted in science fact. Tapeworms have been known to have beneficial qualities as well as a whole bunch of unsavoury side effects. They can travel beyond the intestines in your body. There are plenty of parasites that actually exist that control their hosts in the most extraordinary ways; I have watched many a natural history documentary that screamed science fiction except that they are real.
And we are facing a world where our immune systems are back firing and excessive use of antibiotics are creating resistant strains. It’s not so hard to see science turning to living, symbiotic cures for all our ailments. Even Sal’s recovery put me in mind of one of the miracle survivors of rabies I read about in Rabid; having to learn to walk and talk from scratch as an adult is an arduous, but thankfully rare, task. It does make Sal an amazingly endearing characters and that is where the strength of this book lies beyond the science; in the amazing characterisation.
It’s refreshing to have a love interest that is already established. It makes it not about the romance but Nathan is a wonderful supporting presence and possibly the perfect boyfriend. His in depth knowledge of parasites is also handy in the circumstances. Sal is at times naïve and sometimes slow on the uptake but considering she is only mentally 6 years old, she’s doing pretty well and is full of character and self-awareness. She is kind to animals and she likes learning new slang but she’s also happy to admit when she doesn’t understand something. She also call in the experts instead of running straight into danger by herself. Smart girl.
There is also one of the best canine characters I’ve read. You can tell an animal loving author through the qualities of the animals in the pages and Beverly is wonderfully expressive. I think you’d be able to tell she was a Labrador even without being told; the full body tail wag is a dead giveaway. I worried about this dog more than some of the humans! Tansy was also a fantastic character who made me laugh; to say more about her would involve spoilers I’m afraid.
It’s a story with a lot of leads that will help you work out what is going on well before the characters. Well, before Sal, because I think there are many that know a lot more than they are letting on. Perhaps because the science and theory seemed right to me, and strangely familiar, I wasn’t distracted by it in the early stages and I instinctively guessed the big secret right away. However I loved the characters so much it didn’t matter that I felt the conclusion was inevitable but some may find it predictable. Then there’s always the chance that I could be wrong, especially with one or two things that, at the time, seemed to throw me off the scent.
There were parts of Parasite that reminded me of Feed and others of her writing under her own name, Seanan McGuire. I think she’s managed to meld the best of both worlds into this and I look forward to more. The ending is definitely an opening for a series.
Review copy provided by publisher.
When Mallory discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her with a virtual “wife”, it isn’t long before the gossip has spread across social media. The internet has ruined her life. When she’s sorting through her Grandma’s belongings, she finds a list from 1962, a list that gives her an idea. She is going to shun modern technology and live as her Grandma did, in a simpler time. She will follow the list and change her life. But going back in time isn’t as simple as it seems.
Junior Year: Back-to-School Resolutions:
1. Run for pep squad secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
Going Vintage is a lovely, simple yet heart-warming book about something the everyday things that happen in a teenager’s life. Although Mallory’s Grandma does point out there’s never any easy time to be a teenager, the internet does pose a special set of problems. Everyone knows your business every moment of the day, should you share it, but there is a general acceptance that you should. I think we’d all like to back away from the drama of social media now and again, and as Mallory does so, she learns the middle ground. Living in the 60s wasn’t all peachy and the internet isn’t all bad.
It’s hard to remember how we coped before the internet, or even before the spread of smartphones which made it portable. For today’s teenager’s life without the internet is a foreign world. It’s amusing to see Mallory suddenly realise things she took for granted aren’t as easy anymore; from researching her homework to finding an address. And communication is hard when all her friends are texting, updating statuses or chatting online. No one takes the time to talk or hang out in person any more but that communication isn’t as fulfilling as the kind she discovers.
I’m not quite sure why there was the need to change Facebook to Friendspace or Second Life to Authentic Life. It’s clear what they’re referring to and there’s nothing in the story that would potentially infringing. Plenty of books manage to incorporate real life social networks no problem. Facebook is such a big part of many people’s lives now, it’s as normal a thing to include in fiction as The Times newspaper.
I liked that all the drama in the book was really centred around everyday events. It does start off with a break up but it’s no life or death situation and Mallory soon comes to understand that her reality and what was in her head were maybe not the same things. Jeremy was a pretty average teenage boy and, whilst Oliver turns out amazingly insightful for his years, everything that happens seems pretty believable.
There is a lot on family life which was nice to see. Mallory has a great friendship with her younger sister, who she ropes into her plan. Part of The List is fuelled by her recent bad experience with the internet but another is to get a bit closer to her Grandma, who Mallory eventually realises is a real person with real problems. Her parents made me smile, because being 40, even if Mallory thinks that’s old, does not mean they stop loving and fighting and being a couple. Their PDAs might be embarrassing but I loved them for it.
Junior Year: Back-to-School Resolutions:
1. Run for pep squad secretary
2. Host a fancy dinner party/soiree
3. Sew a dress for homecoming
4. Find a steady
5. Do something dangerous
Going Vintage is a lovely, simple yet heart-warming book about something the everyday things that happen in a teenager’s life. Although Mallory’s Grandma does point out there’s never any easy time to be a teenager, the internet does pose a special set of problems. Everyone knows your business every moment of the day, should you share it, but there is a general acceptance that you should. I think we’d all like to back away from the drama of social media now and again, and as Mallory does so, she learns the middle ground. Living in the 60s wasn’t all peachy and the internet isn’t all bad.
It’s hard to remember how we coped before the internet, or even before the spread of smartphones which made it portable. For today’s teenager’s life without the internet is a foreign world. It’s amusing to see Mallory suddenly realise things she took for granted aren’t as easy anymore; from researching her homework to finding an address. And communication is hard when all her friends are texting, updating statuses or chatting online. No one takes the time to talk or hang out in person any more but that communication isn’t as fulfilling as the kind she discovers.
I’m not quite sure why there was the need to change Facebook to Friendspace or Second Life to Authentic Life. It’s clear what they’re referring to and there’s nothing in the story that would potentially infringing. Plenty of books manage to incorporate real life social networks no problem. Facebook is such a big part of many people’s lives now, it’s as normal a thing to include in fiction as The Times newspaper.
I liked that all the drama in the book was really centred around everyday events. It does start off with a break up but it’s no life or death situation and Mallory soon comes to understand that her reality and what was in her head were maybe not the same things. Jeremy was a pretty average teenage boy and, whilst Oliver turns out amazingly insightful for his years, everything that happens seems pretty believable.
There is a lot on family life which was nice to see. Mallory has a great friendship with her younger sister, who she ropes into her plan. Part of The List is fuelled by her recent bad experience with the internet but another is to get a bit closer to her Grandma, who Mallory eventually realises is a real person with real problems. Her parents made me smile, because being 40, even if Mallory thinks that’s old, does not mean they stop loving and fighting and being a couple. Their PDAs might be embarrassing but I loved them for it.
His father may be gone but life isn’t about to get any easier for Alex Franks. His ex, Hailey, is in town and determined to get him back, no matter what the cost. When Emma is involved in an accident, he has only moments to make a life-changing decision. There are lines that shouldn’t be crossed, Alex knows that all too well.
I loved A.E. Rought’s writing in Broken, a wonderful book despite the fact I knew the “twist” from the blurb. So I so wanted to love Tainted, a book that came without spoilers or preconceptions, but it just wasn’t to be. Told from Alex’s point of view, I found the narrative a bit melodramatic. His strength of feeling is supposedly explained by the chemical imbalance after his treatments but that would make me expect him to be as normal as can be for part the week. His love for Emma is just over the top and distracting from anything resembling a plot for a good third of the book.
I’m getting a bit fed up of blackmail as a plot device, partly from television but it’s also used a lot in books. It takes a lot for me to agree with their actions; usually I just want them to own up and/or go to the authorities. Hailey is a stereotypical, manipulative ex out for vengeance. She is a cardboard cut-out villain in a role that could have been tragic if handled with a bit more subtly. It’s clear what her agenda is from the outset and she makes the whole story predictable. And Alex mentions his doubt over Paul so often, it practically proves his innocence.
The romance and blackmail pushed what could have been interesting themes to the sidelines; for example, the reliance on medicine for the rest of your life and worrying about the whims of pharmaceutical companies (and, in real life USA, insurance). Especially with Jason’s story added into the mix. Jason probably saved the book for me; I thought his character was the most real and endearing.
Having said all that, the last quarter or so was fairly gripping and improved without so much sappiness. There were a few moments with deer that were perfect when you consider the impacts that deer had on Emma in the first book. I was even quite moved by the end.
Review copy provided by publisher.
I loved A.E. Rought’s writing in Broken, a wonderful book despite the fact I knew the “twist” from the blurb. So I so wanted to love Tainted, a book that came without spoilers or preconceptions, but it just wasn’t to be. Told from Alex’s point of view, I found the narrative a bit melodramatic. His strength of feeling is supposedly explained by the chemical imbalance after his treatments but that would make me expect him to be as normal as can be for part the week. His love for Emma is just over the top and distracting from anything resembling a plot for a good third of the book.
I’m getting a bit fed up of blackmail as a plot device, partly from television but it’s also used a lot in books. It takes a lot for me to agree with their actions; usually I just want them to own up and/or go to the authorities. Hailey is a stereotypical, manipulative ex out for vengeance. She is a cardboard cut-out villain in a role that could have been tragic if handled with a bit more subtly. It’s clear what her agenda is from the outset and she makes the whole story predictable. And Alex mentions his doubt over Paul so often, it practically proves his innocence.
The romance and blackmail pushed what could have been interesting themes to the sidelines; for example, the reliance on medicine for the rest of your life and worrying about the whims of pharmaceutical companies (and, in real life USA, insurance). Especially with Jason’s story added into the mix. Jason probably saved the book for me; I thought his character was the most real and endearing.
Having said all that, the last quarter or so was fairly gripping and improved without so much sappiness. There were a few moments with deer that were perfect when you consider the impacts that deer had on Emma in the first book. I was even quite moved by the end.
Review copy provided by publisher.
Well wasn't Byron full of snark? Really interesting book, full review to follow.
It's not often a character hot glues themself to a unicorn. Love this series, full review to follow.
