Book Review - The Third Wife

In my goals I said I wanted to read more this year I think 25 is the target, in the past this wouldn't have been many at all as I used to devour books like chocolate and probably read over 100 in year.  I am doing pretty well I think so far I have managed 5 books and I read this one a while ago and thought I would share my thoughts on it.

Image taken from Random House

I am a big fan of Lisa Jewell and have read all of her books since Ralph's Party usually as near to publication as I can.  However, I am a bit late reading The Third Wife I bought it at the end of July last year, I was in the middle of moving and I did try reading it then but for whatever reason I didn't connect with the characters as much as I usually do with her books.  Anyhow I started it again at the weekend and I must have connected as its finished now.

The Third Wife tells the story of Adrian Wolfe and his seemingly happy family, despite Adrian having left two wife's, five children and having being on number three, the younger Maya everyone gets along famously, going on family holidays together and are seemingly happy with how things have turned out.  Then one night Maya extremely drunk steps or falls in front of a bus. Through the fall out of this Adrian goes on a journey that leads him to understand more about Maya, himself and his family and if everyone is as happy with things as they seemed on the surface.

I don't want to say too much more about the plot as too many details could spoil it but I will reveal as I am pretty sure that it is on the blurb there is a mysterious character, Jane who seems to be following the family and part of the book is finding out where she comes into it.

So what did I think I did enjoy the book but found I wasn't as hungry as I am to know about the characters as I usually am with Lisa Jewell's books, although I found myself strangely drawn to Suzie, Adrian's first wife and wanting to know more about her.  Adrian is a selfish but likeable man who like many people has little idea of the damage his actions can cause although not one of his actions are malicious but generally although I felt sorry for him I found myself to be ambivalent about him.  As the book progressed Maya did fascinate me and what her motivations were and she is definitely present throughout the book in a way more powerful and present than she was in life.

I would recommend The Third Wife to others especially those who like well drawn characters in contemporary situations, well thought out relationships and a bit of suspense.  I think my only problem was with the ending which was a perhaps a bit happily ever after but perhaps not impossible.

Book Review - Sirens Blood and the Brine

A bit of a disclaimer, the writer of this book is a friend of mine.  However that is not why I am featuring it - honest, I am a bit awestruck cos it's actually really good.

The Siren Chronicles  - Blood and Brine by E.M. McGuiness is set in the Outer Hebrides on an island called Glamisdoon it is explores the legend of the Sirens (think Mermaids but not your pretty little sea girls, these are more gnarly and fierce and a bit kick ass) and the Selks harder to explain but think people who have seal skins and if they are returned they go to sea, in fact most of the creatures in this long for the sea.  This world is explored and explained through the eyes of Morgan Bonnie who is a Siren and trying to understand what is happening on Glamisdoon, along the way people guide her but are they friend or foe?

Sirens also explores the duality of love/lust and there are definitely 2 main love interests Henry Jones and Jim the Viking, although I think by the end of the book Morgan has made her choice although I'm not sure it won't waver.  There are a lot of different plot themes and two time lines which somehow link with Morgan and the end of the book leaves some plots still on going, leaving me wanting to read the next book to see what happens.

I think fans of young adult Fantasy fiction will definitely enjoy these books, but this is no Twilight as in my opinion it is much better written and the female lead is not a total sap who makes me want to shake her.  So if you enjoy these types of books I think it is well worth a read.

Me, Me, Marvelous Me!

As well as trying to Blog, myself I read a lot of other people's blogs and I have noticed a lot of these posts, so I thought I would indulge you with these fascinating facts about me.

1. As a child I was obsessed with Hollywood and wanted to be a 50's movie star.  There was a really old book in my house which was a movie star annual from the late 50's and I used to pour over it obsessively.
2. I had skin cancer in my left eye (I know, I didn't know you could get in there either)
3. Not satisfied with having Skin Cancer in my eye I had 2 separate tumors which apparently is unusual.  The eye Geeks at Bart's were very excited about this.
4. I have a brown Staffrador (A Lab cross Staff) called Beyonce.
5. I lived with over 200 people before I was 18.
6. I once bought a wonderful Britvic Pineapple at a jumble sale for 5p when I was about 10 and used it as a teenager to make paper mache in ruining it forever!!!!
7. I have 4 tattoos getting the first one at 30.
8. My best friends tend to be Leo or Gemini although I do have a soft spot for Pisces.
9. When I was 17 I spent a year in America doing the final year of High School.
10. I used to believe that the Devil came up from the toilet when you flushed it (I was about 5)
11. I am slightly obsessed with Jarvis Cocker from Pulp, I once saw him in the crowd at Latitude and tried to talk to him.  He looked at me like I was mad.
12. I have not had my natural colour hair since I was about 11.
13. I am obsessed with kitsch print dresses and own: a wizard of oz, star trek, Gnomes, Care Bears, fishing girls and cowgirl print dresses.
14. I dream of owning a book shop and cafe.
15. I get very angry if my sleep is disturbed by my Husband, who calls me the sleep dragon.
16. My favourite kids show was Charlton and the Wheelies.
17. I got married in Las Vegas, but not by Elvis.
18. Serial Killer films scare me.
19. I lose something at least once a day.
20. I love books and try to read one a week.
21. If I could write like anyone else it would be Maggie O'Farrell.
22. I love to travel and would love to go to Peru and Tokyo,
23. I used to be scared to sleep in case I was a figment of someones imagination and was scared if I went to sleep they would stop imagining me.
24. My favourite colour is Green.
25. I am slightly obsessed with old Vegas, when I went for the first time I was devastated the Desert Inn was gone because I didn't know, as the guide books were still saying it was there.
26. I once was a bar hostess in Greece.
27. I fear I am a very bad driver as I probably have had over a hundred lessons and am still no where near test standard.
28. I love teen movies especially 80's ones and spent most of my teenage years wanting to be Molly Ringwald.
29. I am a massive hoarder and dream of being able to put things in the bin in a ruthless manner.
30. The name for this blog came from my friend Jill from uni, who nicknamed me Twee and used to say when I came out with random things and jumped from subject to subject (as I do) "Ah, the randomness of Twee!"