A Memory Of Violets by Hazel Gaynor
Historical fiction
This signed copy of A Memory Of Violets was bought many years ago in Waterstones Drogheda. Since then it has waited patiently almost forgotten amoung a stack of books I was never quite in the mood to read. My reading style is instinctive. I rarely plan what I am to read next, instead I read whatever I am drawn to. Im also a believer that sometimes books find you when your ready for them. A few nights ago I was reading Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly when my Kindle died. Desperate for an alternative I reached for A Memory Of Violets and it did not disappoint me. There is something to be said for the convenience of the e-reader but a physical copy never runs out of battery, it also has the added benefit of smelling wonderful and I do love the feel of the pages between my fingers ,but if I were to only read physical copies I fear my house would most certainly end up on an episode of hoarders or possibly explode.
A Memory Of Violets is a beautiful story about sisters and finding closure. It is set in London and revolves around The Homes For Flower & Watercress Sellers. These homes gave mostly disabled girls a safe and comfortable home aswell as employment. I was absolutely swept away by the story with all its twist and turns and it felt as if I was there with them within the pages of the book. Sometimes books are like tiny little time machines transporting the reader into times long past. I definitely felt that effect with this book. A marvelous achievement on the writers behalf. I was so invested in the main carachters I felt as if they where all real people and I was a visitor amoung thier lives watching them silently as an observer or witness to thier trials and tribulations aswell as thier joys and triumphs.
4/5
House of M (Brian Micheal Bendis/Olivier Coipel)
Graphic Novel
Like Millions of Marvel fans I have been absolutely entrawled by Wanda Vision. Every week I have eagerly awaited the next episode and there has been much discussion and theorising amoungst my household. We make sure that we all sit down together to watch every Friday and should my husband be at work we all do our utmost to avoid spoilers until he gets home.
Rest assured you will find no spoilers here. I therefore will not go into the contents of House Of M but I will say it is worth a read and some of my own predictions making even more sense now that I have read it. I take nothing for granted though as I know there are many comics that lend to the story and absolutely no guarantee that any one plot will be the eventual outcome of the series. In the meantime every week I feel more and more like a crazed conspiracy theorist as we discuss and speculate on the significance of different aspects of each episode.
I haven't enjoyed speculating on what will happen in a series this much in a very long time. I often find most shows predictable albeit in a comforting way but WandaVision is something very special indeed.
I rate House Of M
4/5
Dragonsbane by Barbara Hambly
Fantasy
Another gem discovered via Louth Libraries Borrowbox app. This book was first published in 1985 and is part of the Winterlands series. Dragonsbane is about a half trained Mage by the name of Jenny Waynest and her lover and John Aversin a Dragonsbane which essentially means he's killed a dragon. A young man by the name of Gareth travels to the Winterlands at great risk to call upon John to come and save the Kingdom from a Dragon who has taken residence in The Deep near the King's Palace. Many knights have already been dispatched and swiftly killed in an attempt to slay the creature but since John is the only man alive known to have successfully killed a dragon he is their last and only hope. Together Gareth, Jenny & John take on the perilous journey to first get to Palace and then to see what can be done to defeat the Dragon but there is more going on than what Gareth first admits and many twists and turns ahead.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
4/5
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