5 Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes - Maurice Barkley

I love all things Sherlock so I jumped at the invitation to join this Write Reads blog tour. I've watched the series and films, listened to the audiobooks and been to a Sherlock Holmes themed escape room. I'm even wearing my 'I am SherLocked' t-shirt as I write this! Of course I was very excited find out there were some new stories. This new book is made up of Watson's accounts of five separate cases, testing Sherlock Holmes' famous talents of deduction and problem solving:

The Holborn Toy Shop - The two investigate a case of missing children.

The Legacy of Doctor Carus - They deal with some horrible siblings and an inheritance puzzle.

The Train from Plymouth - A train arrives three years late with no one aboard.

The Whitehall Papers - A convict escapes jail without a trace.

The Grosvenor Square Furniture Van - A murder victim is found next to an abandoned furniture van with no clues around.

I found that the books managed to capture the feel of the originals wonderfully. I enjoyed reading them and getting back into the enigmatic world of Sherlock Holmes. One line in particular really made me laugh:

"Good God, Holmes," Lestrade erupted, "sixty thousand pounds, you could buy half of Plymouth for that."

If only they could see how little that money would buy you now! 

Something that really makes me think of London in those times is the fog, and it definitely makes an appearance in the book! So while you're reading, the perfect drink to sip is a London Fog cocktail. In a short glass filled with ice, pour 1 shot gin, 1 shot chilled water and 1 shot pernod. Stir till the glass is chilled and the liquid is cloudy. Add more ice and garnish with a twist of orange peel.

Make sure you check out the other great blogs on the tour!

First Books

There's just something about getting into the first book of a new series. The anticipation of a new world and meeting new characters. The inevitable cliffhanger and resulting book hangover. The tears of frustration as you wait for book 2... 

yeah, maybe its not all good after all...

You might want to get a drink ready before you start any of these, especially if you're near the end! To make a 1st Part cocktail, stir the following with ice and strain into a wine glass: 1 1/3 shot rum, 1 2/3 shot dry white wine, 1/3 shot elderflower liqueur, 2 dashes absinthe.

Viper - Bex Hogan

Marianne is the daughter of the Viper, captain of The Maiden's Revenge and the King's most brutal and powerful defender. Trained by her father as if she was a son, but made to wear girlish dresses which frustrate her and make it difficult for her on board the ship. All her life she has prepared for becoming the next Viper, but suddenly she's been promised to the prince and expected to spy for her father.

I absolutely loved this book. I could hardly put it down and then couldn't wait for book 2, though I had no date for it yet.

Book 2 is Venom, release is in April this year!

Grace & Fury - Tracy Banghart

Serina and Nomi are sisters but their lives are planned in completely different directions. Since she was very young, Serina has been training to be a Grace. If chosen she will live in the palace with every luxury. Her sister's only option is to be her handmaid, but Nomi has a secret that could ruin everything.

What a horrible world to live in! Women have no power at all. Their choices, if they can be called that, are basically to train to be a Grace or work in a factory and marry and have babies. Even these aren't really choices as it is decided for them when they are young. It's even forbidden for girls to learn to read.

I really enjoyed the 1st half of the book, until it started to get a bit predictable and typical. But then it got VERY good again and I didn't want to put it down. I ordered book 2 right away!

Book 2 is Queen of Ruin

A Curse So Dark and Lonely - Brigid Kemmerer

I've read a few contemporary books by the author and really enjoyed her writing. I wasn't sure what to expect with this one as it is very different to her other books but I absolutely adored it! Brigid Kemmerer is such an amazing writer.

This is a wonderful and very distinctive Beauty and the Beast retelling. Harper accidentally ends up being transported to the parallel world of Emberfall. What she doesn't know is that Prince Rhen is cursed to turn into a monster which terrorises his kingdom and she has stumbled into his last chance to find love and break the curse.

Harper is a great protagonist, she's so fierce and determined. She reminds me a bit of Juliet from Letters to the Lost.

I don't know why I waited so long to read this but I'm kind of glad I did, otherwise I would have even longer to wait for the sequel. I pre-ordered it immediately!

Book 2 is A Heart So Fierce and Broken

Fierce, Fearless and Free - Lari Don

Who needs a handsome prince? 

Not these girls!

Neringa the giant who saved her village from a particularly persistent sea dragon determined to marry her, Medea who discovered the one flaw in Crete's robotic protector, Nana Miriam who defeated the hungriest of hippos.

Be wary of fires and don't trust the condor, and if you're an evil emperor, stay away from lace dragons!

This is a wonderful book bursting with fierce girls found in myths and legends from all over the world. Though many of the heroines in this book have some kind of magic, it is usually their cleverness and bravery that saves the day. Just look at this gorgeous map showing where in the world all the myths came from.

I have recently read couple of books mentioning lots of strong, inspirational girls and women, so I was particularly interested in this one too. I really enjoyed reading about all these different myths, some of which were familiar and some completely new. All little girls (and older ones like me) should have access to characters like these. I'll definitely be reading Lari's first collection, Girls, Goddesses and Giants too.

While you read about all these amazing girls, sip on a Lace Dragon. In a shaker add 1 1/2 shots tequila, 3/4 shot Cointreau, 3/4 shot lemon juice, 1 egg white and a dash of sugar syrup. First shake without ice, then add ice, shake again and strain into a glass. Using a toothpick, dip it into a little angostura bitters and trace out a lacy design on the surface of the cocktail.

Who's your favourite fierce girl from history or mythology?  Let me know in the comments, I'd love to have more to read about.

The Fierce, Fearless and Free blog tour is in session now, make sure you catch all these other great blog stops on the way. The book was released on 5th March so it's out now for you to enjoy!

What Stars Are Made Of - Sarah Allen 

When Libby learns that her older sister is pregnant, she is ecstatic at the thought of a new baby. But then come all the worries, what if the baby has the same problems she's had? Nonny's husband recently lost his job, how will they cope? Then she comes up with an audacious plan that will solve everything, if she can pull it off.

I absolutely loved Libby right from the start. I just wanted to give her a big hug and protect her from the world. She's so smart and determined, with a slightly hyper-active mind and a thousand thoughts a minute. The library is her best friend, but she also has tons of friends in her head. All the lesser known, underestimated, scientists and contributors to the world that she hears about.

I used this mug at work and it made me think of Libby, when you've read the book you'll know why...

I loved how the details about Libby are revealed gradually, ensuring you never see Libby as anything but a girl like any other. She's going through many of the things all young girls go through, albeit with some additional challenges. But she never lets anything stop her. She even delays reading about something in case it tells her she's not supposed to be able to do things. She's much more interested in the many things she CAN do.

This was such an incredible story, I just can't express how wonderful this book is! I got emotional way too many times and learnt some great new words such as Kintsugi. I also really want to learn more about Cecilia Payne. I think it is brilliant for teaching younger readers (and older ones) about acceptance. It really makes you think about how you see people and what can be going on in their lives that you just don't know about. The author's acknowledgement at the end is really touching. All about wanting to reach out and write about others like her.

Kintsugi

The art of filling in cracks in ceramic with liquid gold rather than throwing them away. 

In this way the flawed becomes even more beautiful.

I made a Blue Star to go with the book. Shake 1.5 shots gin, 3/4 shots Blue Curacao, Martini Extra Dry & fresh orange juice with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass.

Retelling Challenge

As you probably know if you've been following me a while, I love getting involved in reading challenges. It's fun matching books to different prompts or themes, discussing your reading with others doing the challenge and best of all it's an incentive to increase my reading.

One of the challenges I'm really excited about this year is the 2020 Retellings Reading Challenge run by Cornerfolds. Any retellings count towards your goal but to make it even more fun there's a bingo board to go with the challenge, with 24 prompts and one free square.

Here are a few of the books I've matched to prompts:

Mulan - Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

Author Duo - A Crown of Talons by Katharine Corr & Elizabeth Corr

POC Author - Cinder & the Prince of Midnight by Susan Ee

Sherlock Holmes - The Holborn Toy Shop and other Stories by Maurice Barkley

German Myth/Fairy Tale - The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag

Sirens or Mermaids - The Surface Breaks by Louise O'Neill

There are 5 challenge levels and I am attempting the hardest one, Fairest of Them All: 21-25 books. So far I've read 4 books for the challenge, 3 of which actually fit the bingo prompts. 

If you want to get involved just click here to go to the Challenge page and sign up. I'd love to know what you'll be reading. Do you have any favourite retellings? Are you attempting any reading challenges? Let me know in the comments.