A Clockwork Christmas - JK Coi, PG Forte, Stacy Gail, Jenny Schwartz Review

Goodreads Synopsis

We Wish You a Steampunk Christmas 

Changed forever after tragedy, a woman must draw strength from her husband's love. A man learns that love isn't always what you expect. A thief steals the heart of a vengeful professor. And an American inventor finds love Down Under. Enjoy Victorian Christmas with a clockwork twist in these four steampunk novellas. 

Anthology includes: 

Crime Wave in a Corset by Stacy Gail 
This Winter Heart by PG Forte 
Wanted: One Scoundrel by Jenny Schwartz 
Far From Broken by JK Coi

Review
I'm going to give each individual story a star rating and a review because they are so good that's what they deserve. 


Crime wave in a Corset - Stacy Gail

Cornelia Peabody is a thief, she steals from organisations rather than just people - a modern Robin Hood you could say... but she steals from the wrong person. I really like Cornelia, she is a very strong female protagonist yet as the novella moves on we see her softer side. The Steampunk element comes in with the ingenious time piece created by Roderick Coddington. I really liked his character as well, the reader establishes him as a villian early on but at the same time his character is likable and often witty. But is he really a villain or simply a person riddled with revenge for a theft? I really enjoyed this story and it really fitted into the Christmas theme, I felt this one was the only one you could really call a Christmas story and the others just happened to mention it was Christmas at the end of the story. I have to say I think this was my favourite one of the four stories and perhaps should have been the last one in the collection rather than the first.


This Winter Heart - P G Fort

I loved this story, the idea of a robot but it had human skin much like the Terminator but a lot less dramatic and this lady is capable of feeling, loving and doing everything a normal human can. Developed from her mother's DNA she is able to do everything... including having children. Ophelia is a lovely character through and through and is desperate to convince her husband that their son is legitimate... and not a robot. This story captures the essence of love which cannot be affected by the traditions of society. Dario is a complicated character, we can understand his horror of finding his wife was actually a robot but at the same time we cannot understand the horror of casting her out. This story is truly heart wrenching and passionate. 


Wanted: One Scoundrel - Jenny Schwartz

I have to say this was my least favourite out of the four novellas. It captures the story of a woman fighting for women's rights in Austrailia she is rich enough to be able to afford to hire a man to front her rights movement. I found the politics of this story quite slow and the only reason it got four stars rather than three was the pace was quickened at the end to make it quite enjoyable. I really liked Jed Reeve the male protagonist who is not what he appears, he plays the part of the women's rights movement very well and is perhaps the perfect gentleman a woman would wish for?


Far From Broken - J K Koi

Again I really liked this one, Jasper is desperate to achieve the approval of his wife again after she was brutally attacked. She lost an eye, an arm and both her legs yet has lived because a doctor has given her powerful mechanic limbs. We discover the hardships of dealing with the broken self and the desperation of the man she loves to be in her arms again. I liked the way this novella skipped to the past to tell of what had happened to Callie and the importance of these events to the ending of the novella. I love Callie, before the attack she seemed innocent and weak, a dancer and a lady yet after the accident she dresses in men's clothes and is stronger than her husband. The courage she shows is amazing and although she is not directly a protagonist she drives the protagonist forward to create an interesting ending.


Overall this book is well worth a read and although they aren't as Christmasy as I expected... well I don't really enjoy Christmas books that much anyway. I would recommend reading this book all year round as Christmas is not a main theme just a mention. 

And the winner is... #5

The winner of the Mid Winters Eve blog hop is....

Nicole Sender!!!

Congratulations!!!

Wishlist Wednesday #13

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. Just follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.

This week's Wishlist Wednesday is....

The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

I really wanted this book for Christmas but I had so much on my list that my mum didn't get around to this little gem! I will be buying this book with my Christmas money though!!!

Top Ten Tuesday #11

The meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish who is particularly partial to lists :)


This week its a nice round up of the...

Top Ten Books I read in 2011!

1. The Hunger Games Triology - Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games) (Catching Fire) (Mockingjay)
I had to put all three with this one, because seriously OMG where do you start! These books are amazing... if you haven't read them. Read them.


2. Dearly Departed - Lia Habel
I really enjoyed this new take on zombies, really inventive and I loved the zombie characters which made the book all the more fun. I love the nitty gritty details this book encompasses in order to make it work! Can't wait for the next one. 


3. The Power of Six - Pittacus Lore
I actually read both in this series this year and loved them both, I love the kind of X-Men meets aliens idea, the characters are amazing! I can't wait for the next book in the series!


4. Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen
This has to be one of the all time favourites, because of this book I didn't revise for an exam and still passed! This book is both heart-wrenching and gripping all in one, I literally could not put this book down even though I might have failed a module in my degree...(luckily I didn't)


5. Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
This is an amazing book! I cannot believe the genius that is Ishiguro (although I didn't like The Remains of the Day) this is also the best move adaptation I've seen so if you're really not sure about it. Watch that first, although it is against my moral code. 


6. The Girl Who Played with Fire - Steig Larsson
I love this trilogy, I'm really looking forward to reading the last one next year, I might save it for my summer holiday! There are so many stories within one book as well as twists and turns you really do not expect. Larsson is amazing!


7. Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
This one is on here because I really really didn't expect to like it. I really enjoyed this book, it had so much culture within it's pages yet had an incredible story behind it as well. I was put off when I was told its hard to read but I didn't find that at all. 


8. The Ice Cream Girls - Dorothy Koomson
I love Koomson anyway, but this book for me was extra special. It had some really interesting twists and skipped from the past and the present which is one of my favourite traits in a book!


9. Shakespeare's Landlord - Charlaine Harris
I like this series better than the Sookie Stackhouse (although I have been getting into that one lately) I am leaning a lot towards the murder mystery genre and fine Lily Bard an amazing heroine, and certainly and unlikely one. 


10. Stray - Rachel Vincent
I must admit this is a hard book to get into and boy the protagonist is annoying but its all worth it for the fantastic story that envisages cat people. A really good story and I am assured in the second and third books she is less annoying!

Mid Winter's Eve Blog Hop

We're back for another giveaway at Passion for Novels, I love giving away stuff to my followers as a Thank You for supporting me!!! This Giveaway is hosted by I Am A Reader Not A Writer so make sure you head on over there and enter as many contests as you can!!!
Rules

• You must be a follower via GFC or Facebook
• If you do not reply to the winning email within 3 days I will choose another winner!
• You must fill out the form for your entry to count
• You are eligible as long as The Book Depository delivers free to your country
• There are 4 possible entries so there are plenty of chances to win!

Because it's Christmas I have decided to let you choose a book of your choice from the Book Depository up to the value of five pounds sterling
Please note you must leave your email address in order for me to contact you!

Top Ten Tuesday #10

Top Ten Books I hope Santa Brings

The meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish who is particularly partial to lists :)

1. Matched - Ally Condie

2. Across the Universe - Beth Revis

3. The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

4. Knife Edge - Malorie Blackman

5. A Place Called Here - Cecelia Ahern

6. Honeycote - Veronica Henry

7. Divergent - Veronica Roth

8. Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare

9. Winter Garden - Kristen Hannah

10. The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan

Again I apologise for the quick nature of this post but uni calls! I promise to be much more attentive when January comes around the corner!

Author Spotlight #9

Veronica Henry

Goodreads Bio
Veronica Henry was a television script writer before turning her hand to fiction. She has published six novels which she describes as realistic escapism - her characters might have Agent Provocateur knickers drying on the Aga, but their problems and dilemmas are ones everyone can identify with. She is also on the writing team of Bafta-award winning Holby City.


This is the bio from her official website

Veronica Henry was asked to leave the Royal School for Daughters of Officers of the Army. She was then asked to leave the University of Bristol, where she was studying Classics, because she was spending too much time running a post-punk nightclub to do her conjugations. Happily, she wasn’t asked to leave the BBC when she secured a job on The Archers, where her duties ranged from organising Shula Archer’s wedding photographs with Patrick Lichfield to playing Peaches the barmaid in the Cat and Fiddle.

From there she went to Central Television to script-edit such broadcasting legends as Crossroads and Boon. She then left to have her first child and became a scriptwriter, writing hundreds of hours of broadcast television for Heartbeat, Doctors and Family Affairs amongst others. In 2000, she turned her hand to novels, using her story-lining skills to write compelling, multi-protagonist fiction. She is now a regular member of the Holby City writing team.

She lives in North Devon with her husband and three sons

Books

Honeycote

The Beach Hut

The Birthday Party

An Eligible Bachelor

Love on the Rocks

I have a real soft spot for Veronica Henry's books, I really love her, her books are really enjoyable and generally really light and quite funny. They are a really good holiday read and I can't wait to get my hands on a few of the ones I haven't read!

Sunday Sensation #9

First off, I would like to apologise for my lack of blogging this week! With Christmas just around the corner I have just been sooo busy!

A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens

Goodreads Synopsis
One of the best-loved and most quoted stories of "the man who invented Christmas"-English writer Charles Dickens-A Christmas Carol debuted in 1843 and has touched millions of hearts since. Cruel miser Ebeneezer Scrooge has never met a shilling he doesn't like. . .and hardly a man he does. And he hates Christmas most of all. When Scrooge is visited by his old partner, Jacob Marley, and the ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present, and Christmas Yet to Come, he learns eternal lessons of charity, kindness, and goodwill. Experience a true Victorian Christmas!

Of course, what better time of the year to read this amazing classic. I thought that the language would annoy me because I've seen so many versions of this book. I found that because I knew it so well it was such a fast and easy read and I loved every minute of it. It really brought my Christmasy side out! I wasn't feeling too Christmasy up until then, I loved the character of Scrooge, I was a little disappointed with Bob Cratchitt as I was hoping to find out more about him than we did. It certainly lived up to every expectation I had and a little more! I'm glad I've finally got round to reading it!!

Monsters of L.A - Lisa Morton Review

Goodreads Synopsis

In these pages you'll find the dark stars you grew up watching: Frankenstein, Dracula, Mr. Hyde, the Phantom, the Hunchback...all the silent ones and the first to find their voices are here, and they're even presented in roughly the order in which they first appeared on a silver screen. The Haunted House of the '30s gives way to the Werewolf of the '40s, the Monsters of L.A. Creature of the '50s, and so on, all the way up to our favorite modern boogeyman, the Zombie.

In some of these stories, you'll find an earthly incarnation of a famous namesake: Frankenstein is a patched-together, homeless vet, the Invisible Woman is so ordinary you'd never see her; but some of these familiar friends - Dracula, the Devil, or those seriously creepy Clowns - will be instantly recognizable.


Review
This collection of short stories is one of the best I've read, some intertwine within each other and some are stand alone but the adaptations of popular myths and monsters is brilliant. My particular favourite was Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde which is one of my favourite books anyway. Morton makes Dr Jekyll a woman and the potion he takes is trying to make her a man and is likely to stun everyone with her new way of gender changing. The drug is brilliant, she becomes Mr Hyde, but her sexual impulses get the better of her and she becomes very violent. This is one of the longer narratives in the book but I was very pleased about this. 


The very essence of this book is to adapt popular fiction and find new and interesting ways of retelling them and it works amazingly well. Ironically the only story I disliked was the longest one near the end of the book, which is why the book only got four stars instead of five. I did like the little commentary at the end of why Morton chose to write the stories in the ways she did and I found it increased the enjoyment of the stories. But of course, if you don't want to read that section you don't have to.


Some of the stories are intended to be scary, I was a little scared in the haunted house, yet when you discover the true reason of why the house is behaving the way it does its a fantastic story. It takes on the role of the house as a speaker at some points which is a really inventive way of understanding what took place in the house. The Slasher is also one to make you cringe a little as well as the fear of The Killer Clown which sparks of the fear of clowns within everyone.


Dracula was a story which I thought I wouldn't like but the combination of the classic take on Dracula moulded with the modern versions of vampires was incredible. I found myself laughing out loud at the end of the book when I realised who the other character was actually meant to be based upon. Of course as always I won't give it away! 

Stories such as Frankenstein and The Mad Scientist are linked in very interesting ways, The Mad Scientist is actually a doctor who tried to save a man's life. Overall I enjoyed this collection lots and found myself feeling a lot of various emotions while reading it! Morton is very talented at adapting the stories to create her own interesting take on them!!

Top Ten Tuesday #9

The meme is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish who is particularly partial to lists :)

Top Ten Books I want to give as gifts... and who to...

First off, this is quite a quick one this week because I my ever increasing pile of University work to get through so here it is a Whistle Stop Tour of my Christmas Presents for people...

1. The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
I have given this book to my friend Abi for Christmas, it is the Barnes and Noble edition and as its her favourite children's book it was perfect!

2. Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
This has been on my friend Dani's (over at Pen to Paper) for a while now, I strictly told her she was not allowed to buy any books off her wishlist so I could take my pick!!

3. Dark Matter - Michelle Paver
This has been on my friend Abi's wishlist for a while, unfortunately I found out that her sister had already bought it for her!!! It's ok, her mum is going to enjoy this lovely novel now :-)

4. Across the Universe - Beth Revis
This has actually been on my wishlist longer than Abi and Dani's! But I'm an amazing friend and bought them both it for Christmas! So now I'm the only one without this book and I'll be gutted if they read it without me. I might have to go and buy this one if my boyfriend hasn't taken the nagging hints from me :-)

5. Around the Bend - Jeremy Clarkson
I bought this one for a secret someone this Christmas, I say secret because they haven't received it yet and they might read my blog. A great book for any man I would imagine, Clarkson seems to send them off into giggles like a girl, who knows maybe everyone just fancies him?

6. The Decision - Penny Vincenzi
I have also bought this one for a secret someone, they have read most of Vincenzi's books and will be delighted with the new one!

Not Giving but would like to...

7. The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
I would have loved to give this book to a friend of mine as she would love it. She reads all kinds of genres and this was one she'd never heard of until the weekend.

8. A Christmas Carol  - Charles Dickens
I think everyone should receive this book at Christmas and read it!

9. Never Let Me Go- Kazuo Ishiguro
This book should be on everyone's Christmas list because its amazing! The book would be a lovely Christmas read as it is unputdownable as well such a memorable read.

10. 1001 books to read before I die
Any copy will do, but I think this gift gives them ideas for what to read for the rest of their lives! What more could someone want! Other than Goodreads of course.

Author Spotlight #8

Laini Taylor

Goodreads Bio

Hi there! I'm a writer of fantasy books for young people, but my books can be enjoyed by adults as well. My 'Dreamdark' books, Blackbringer (2007) and Silksinger (2009) are about faeries -- not dainty little flowery things, but warrior-faeries who battle devils. My first young adult book, Lips Touch, is a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award! It's creepy, sensual supernatural romance. . . about kissing. I am also an artist with a licensed gift product line called "Laini's Ladies."

This week my Author Spotlight was inspired by a Christmas Present I received off my friend Dani over at Pen to Paper we were a little naughty and opened them early. She got me a copy of Daughter of Smoke and Bone which was a Signed Limited First Edition, you can imagine my delight! Which is why this week my focus is Laini Taylor!!!

Heres the Synopsis for Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. 

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. 

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. 

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out. 

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Through My Letterbox #2

This week I had three books through my letterbox from a contest I won, it was three of Brenda Novak's books which look really good!!

Inside
Goodreads Synopsis
Virgil Skinner served fourteen years for a murder he didn't commit. He's finally been exonerated, but he can't escape the gang he joined in order to survive. They'll do anything to keep him from telling what he knows. And if they can't get to Virgil they'll go after his sister and her kids.

The California Department of Corrections needs someone to infiltrate another gang, one that's taking control of the state's most notorious supermax. Virgil agrees to do it under an alias—in exchange for his sister's protection.

Chief Deputy Warden Peyton Adams is opposed to having Virgil in her prison. How will she protect him if things go bad? Besides, she's far too attracted to him; she might even be falling in love with him. That makes her all the more desperate to keep him safe—and it gives him someone else to lose.

In Seconds

Goodreads Synopsis
They're back…

Laurel Hodges has changed her identity twice. She's been on the run for the past four years, trying to outdistance the gang members who blame her for the death of one of their own. She's finally found peace and stability in the small town of Pineview, Montana. But just when Laurel thinks she and her children are safe…the nightmare starts all over again.

The Crew, a ruthless prison gang with ties to Laurel's brother, will never forget and they'll never forgive. And now that they've finally tracked her down, they'll stop at nothing.

Sheriff Myles King, who happens to live next door with his thirteen–year–old daughter, appoints himself Laurel's personal guardian. His growing attraction to her could change his life—Myles is beginning to picture marriage and family. But it could also end his life. If he can't save her, everything he's built, everything he wants, could be destroyed. In seconds…

In Close

Goodreads Synopsis
Claire O'Toole's mother, Alana, went missing fifteen years ago. That was big news in Pineview, Montana, the kind of town where nothing much ever happens. Then, last year, Claire's husband, David, died in a freak accident — after launching his own investigation into Alana's disappearance. 

Is Alana dead? Or did she simply abandon her husband and daughters? Claire's determined to find out — and her former boyfriend, Isaac Morgan, wants to help. Although their relationship didn't end well, he still has feelings for her. And yet it isn't until he starts to suspect David's death wasn't an accident that he's drawn back into her life. 

Together, Claire and Isaac search for answers to the questions that have haunted Pineview all this time. But as they soon discover, someone's prepared to kill so those answers won't be found. . .

Wishlist Wednesday #12

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves. Just follow Pen to Paper as host of the meme.


This week's Wishlist Wednesday is....


Soulless - Gail Carriger

Goodreads Synopsis
Without a morsel of exaggeration, its publisher describes this debut novel as "a comedy of manners set in Victorian London full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking." At the center ofSoulless's "parasol protectorate" is Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a young woman who lacks not only a suitor but also a soul. And those are not her only problems: When she accidentally kills a vampire, it begins a series of events that she must set out to resolve without the help of any proper authorities. A charming mass market original.


This book sounds really good, unlike the Victorian dystopia novel I recently read this one is actually set in the era, and with vampires and werewolves! I really am looking forward to this one and I hope I get it on my shelves soon!


Let me know if you've read this book or want to!!

Top Ten Tuesday #8

This is a blog hop hosted by The Broke and The Bookish who happens to be particularly partial to lists so here's this weeks Top Ten Tuesday! This weeks list...

Top Ten Childhood Favourites

1. Mates, Dates Series - Cathy Hopkins
This was a collection of books for slightly older kids than all the others I've chosen. I read these when I was about 10 onwards. These books were just the right age for me talking about our first bra's and other problems perfect for a girl my age. I loved them and read 10 of them before I got a bit old and grew out of them. 


2. The Famous Five Series - Enid Blyton
I loved this series... and so did my mum! She used to read these to me in bed and if I got excited and read on while she was gone she used to get angry!! Just shows you that the adventures of four children and a dog can get adults excited too!

3. Matilda - Roald Dahl
This has to be one of my favourite Roald Dahl books, mind you I could have put the whole list full of him! I love this one because Matilda has such a passion for novels! Just like me! I really felt like I could relate to her and I would have loved to have a teacher like Miss Honey!


4. The Enchanted Wood - Enid Blyton
I think I read this series a few times when I was little. I loved it! My favourite character had to be Saucepan Man I found the idea of him very funny!! I really loved every book in this series, it seemed like everything I'd want to find in a wood was right there, this fantasy world was pure brilliance. 

5. Double Act - Jacqueline Wilson
I read most of Wilson's books this one I particularly liked because I didn't have any brothers and sisters so it was nice to be able to read a book about them arguing and getting on each others nerves!


6. The Animals of Farthing Wood - Colin Dann, Stuart Trotter
I found this book really upsetting for all the animals and I got really attached to each of them. They did find new homes, but now I look back on it this book is a giant political statement about ruining forests and pollution. I really enjoyed the strong ideas these animals had and I was inspired to stand up for what I believed in, which is really important to a child!

7. The Naughtiest Girl in School - Enid Blyton
I loved this book, I think partly because I was a good girl in school and never did anything wrong. This book allowed me to experience the DARK SIDE. Blyton is always really funny in her works and quite frankly I just couldn't get enough of her!


8. The Worst Witch - Jill Murphy
I did used to like more of the fantasy element in my reading and a girl in a school for witches seemed right up my street. I read a few of the books and loved the tv show, it was a really good adaptation of the books.


9. Kensuke's Kingdom - Michael Morpurgo
I read this with my class in Primary school, I loved every minute of it. I hadn't read any Morpurgo's books then and thought he was brilliant - still do! 


10. The Wishing Chair - Enid Blyton
Blyton's back again... as I said before couldn't get enough of her! The wishing chair was another one of my favourites. I loved the idea of sitting on a chair in a shop and being taken away to another world. I also like the way they weren't trapped and asked it to go home and it took them!