review – Authordom, or There About

Posted on January 25, 2016January 25, 2016 by rileyjfroud · 6 Comments

Review and Giveaway: Dream of Me by A. Star

This book takes off exactly where Wish For Me ended, and follows Glory, Irving, Madeleine, and Elena on their quest to find Rasputin and save their realms from certain death. I really enjoyed the first book in this series (check out my review for more information), and whilst that makes the second in a series exciting, it also makes me a little nervous. Is it going to be as good? Is it going to be terrible and taint my opinion of the first? Is it going to be so awesome that I can’t handle it? Am I going to be disappointed to find that the third in the series is not out yet? In this instance, the truth is honestly a bit of a mixture.

Posted on August 13, 2015October 11, 2015 by rileyjfroud · 1 Comment

Review: The Book of Life by Jo Roderick

Marketed as self-help, The Book of Life by Jo Roderick is literally a book about life. It’s about everything from guilt and depression to daydreams and spirituality. It’s about changing the way you live and having the life that you want. That might sound like a massive undertaking – and it is, but does the book achieve what it set out to achieve? The answer is an unequivocal yes. I suppose I should explain.

Posted on July 20, 2015August 25, 2015 by rileyjfroud · 4 Comments

Review: Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke

Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell is a rather detailed history of English magic, focussing primarily (although far from entirely) upon the eponymous characters. It is also an epic fantasy novel that is quite different from anything I have ever read before and can be described by any number of the following adjectives: dense, complex, accurate, well-researched, poetic, beautiful, shocking and, at times, even a little boring and tedious.

Posted on May 29, 2013August 25, 2015 by rileyjfroud

Review: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson

Let’s be honest, it’s a ridiculous title. I like ridiculous titles though, they breed curiosity at the very least (even if they do get shortened in discussion for ease and amusement – my favourite shortened title thus far is “Heartbreaking sh*tty sh*itness” – 5 points to the person who works out the full title first). So when Betty picked this for book club this month, I was at least drawn in by the title (and of course by the author’s fantastic name). And the ridiculousness of the title most definitely suits the equally ridiculous story.