review

A Feast for Crows – George R. R. Martin

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Try as I might, I find it hard to stay away from this series for long. It’s especially difficult not to move on to A Dance with Dragons after A Feast for Crows because many questions have been left unanswered! (NOTE: If you have not finished A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, A Storm if Swords Part 1: Steel and Snow or A Storm of Swords Part 2: Blood and Gold you will find some spoilers in this post).

I spent much of A Feast for Crows going between two feelings; frustration and excitement. With the huge cliffhanger at the end of the previous book; Littlefinger pushing his new wife out of the moon door, I was desperate to jump right back into Sansa’s storyline. Continue reading →

The Weird Sisters – Eleanor Brown

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The Weird Sisters

This is the tenth book I read for the Pay It Sideways Challenge. I was hesitant to read The Weird Sisters, but this review at Reading with Tea persuaded me to give it a go.

Ever since I studied it at school, Macbeth has been the only Shakespeare play that I’ve felt I can get on with, (not that I’ve given his others much of a chance) and the three weird sisters were immediately my favourite characters. That’s why I was slightly reluctant to read this book, I didn’t want my idea of them to be turned into something sappy. Continue reading →

Antiquariaat Brinkman – Amsterdam

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It was a loooong time ago now that I went to Amsterdam, but I’ve still got one last bookshop to quickly tell you about…

After feeling the peace and relaxation of Au Bout du Monde and the cosiness of Antiquariaat POLK on the Singel Canal, it was time to check out the third bookshop. Antiquariaat Brinkman is on the corner. At the time of my visit it was surrounded by scaffolding so I found it hard to take a proper outside photo.

Continue reading →

Top 5 – Book Awards 2012

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Wow! What a year! 2012 was very exciting – both for me personally and for Bundle of Books. Lots of things have changed; I left my horrible job, had a couple of interesting work experience opportunities, joint-bought a flat and got a new job (one that I actually like!). My reading habits have adapted, unfortunately meaning that I haven’t read anywhere near as much as last year. This is probably due to shorter lunch breaks and the fact that I now walk to work instead of getting a bus everyday – bad for my To Read pile, but good for my health!

I may not have read as much as I would have liked, but I’ve discovered some fantastic books! I’ve learnt about some talented début authors such as Téa Obreht, Erin Morgenstern and Eowyn Ivey. I’ve become hooked on the popular fantasy series A Song of Ice and Fire by George R. R. Martin. However, 2012 was not just full of great reading; I’ve visited some wonderful bookshops, I’ve taken a sneaky peek at other people’s shelves, read a bit of poetry and watched some good (and some not so good) adaptations.

Most exciting of all, in August, I was Freshly Pressed! I was so thrilled to see all of the comments made by new (and old!) followers and can still hardly believe that my post was chosen to be on the WordPress homepage for the day – so thanks to everyone who took the time to visit my blog!

And now it’s time to take a look at some of the books that most stood out to me in 2012 (using the same categories as last year).

Book Awards 2012 Continue reading →

Just Kids – Patti Smith

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Just-Kids-

I’m not too familiar with Patti Smith’s work, so I probably never would have thought about reading Just Kids if it weren’t for this short but intriguing review at bluntsbookblog. This is the ninth book I’ve read for the Pay It Sideways Challenge.

Just Kids is the fulfillment of a promise Patti Smith made to Robert Mapplethorpe in their last ever conversation before he died, “Will you write our story? … no one but you can write it”. When I sat down one lazy (and slightly hungover) Sunday morning to read it, I had no idea how much of an effect the book would have on me. I spent the rest of that day with my eyes glued to the pages and my mind in 1970’s New York. Continue reading →

A Knitter’s Home Companion – Michelle Edwards

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This is the eighth book I read for the Pay It Sideways Challenge. I’ve been knitting on and off since I was a teenager and have been looking for a book about knitting for a long time. I have a number of knitting manuals and pattern books, some with a bit of history mixed in, but what I really wanted was a more personal, warm and fuzzy book that would induce the same feeling I get from sitting down with a nice long pattern. When I read this review by Book Snob, I knew I had finally found what I wanted!

To start with, this is a very beautiful book, filled with simple but lovely illustrations by Michelle Edwards herself. Straight away, you can tell that it’s going to be a heart-warming and relaxing experience reading through the pages. It’s a collection of short stories and essays, with the odd recipe, book recommendation and of course, knitting pattern dotted between them. Continue reading →

The Summer Book – Tove Jansson

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This is the seventh book I read for the Pay It Sideways Challenge. I really enjoyed reading the thoughts of Iris on Books and couldn’t wait to get stuck in.

Jansson is most famous for being the creator of The Moomins. I liked the cartoons when I was younger but never really thought much about the books they had come from or the author who had written them. I’m glad this fantastic and talented author has finally been brought to my attention!

Reading The Summer Book filled me with a peaceful calm. The writing is unhurried and there are no huge climatic scenes. It’s a beautiful, thoughtful book with a clear simplicity that matches the isolation and fresh breezes of the setting. Continue reading →

Northanger Abbey – Jane Austen

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Last year I took part in Advent with Austen but only managed to read four of Jane Austen’s wonderful novels. To be honest, I was starting to feel a bit Austened out and was thankful when the month was over and I could pick up a completely different type of book. This year, on the lead up to Halloween, I was looking for a slightly spooky read, perfect for cuddling up with in the evenings, and from my first reading of Northanger Abbey a few years ago, I thought it was just the thing!

My second reading of Northanger Abbey didn’t engage my interest as much. I remember the book being full of tension and creepiness. Instead, the ‘creepy’ parts are rather silly, which I’m sure is the point, showing the ‘heroine’s’ naivety and over active imagination. I was disappointed that I didn’t get the same feel from the book, but still enjoyed the read, even if it was a bit slow.  Continue reading →

A Storm of Swords 2: Blood and Gold – George R. R. Martin

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Winter is certainly coming and I’m eager to crack on with the next book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. So it’s about time to write about George R. R. Martin’s A Storm of Swords Part 2: Blood and Gold. I read it back when summer was coming, so this really is late! (NOTE: If you have not finished A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings or A Storm of Swords Part 1: Steel and Snow, you will find some spoilers in this post).

What has made Martin’s series so popular is that fact that he is not afraid to kill off main characters, or generally shock his readers. This has never been so true as in Blood and Gold. If you thought the previous books contained bloodshed, you should be prepared for much, much more in this book.  Continue reading →

The Sugar Queen – Sarah Addison Allen

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This is the sixth book I read for the Pay It Sideways Challenge. I doubt I would ever have picked The Sugar Queen up if it weren’t for this review at Trees and Ink, which makes the story sound  intriguing, magical and ‘sweet’.

Unfortunately, I don’t have many good things to say. I should have listened to my gut instinct because this is really not my sort of book. I was hoping for a subtle magic in the storyline, but instead just got silly magic – a lucky cardigan that mostly works to attract a man that the main character has fallen in love with. It’s the sort of magic that you would read about in a romance novel for teenagers, and indeed everything about the storyline felt childish and naive. Continue reading →