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Genres

Do you ever think you know what your reading year will look like, only to find it turns out to be completely different? I honestly thought this year would be jam-packed with action/adventure thriller-type novels. I discovered and fell in love with Matthew Reilly’s books last year – completely OTT action scenes and I was HERE for it! His book Temple was my surprise book of the year last year. And…

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i need to stop getting into books that don't have a lot of anything on the interwebs

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Yes, I start to understand why people would ship Pooh and Stretch.

He is only one of three people Pooh mentions in his farewell letter.

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 'I feed dogs and walk dogs. I not eat dogs.' Despite everything that was going on, Jack couldn't help but smile at that. 'I'm glad to hear you didn't eat my dogs.'

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Time for the audio book

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I had far too much time on my hands. And like always, when that happens, I produce the worlds weirdest content. 

I gender bent them peeps! All because I was sick of Zoe being token girl. Whoops. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

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Rediscovering my love for the Jack West Jr books series by Mathew Reilly as I finally have a chance to start reading Four Legendary Kingdoms again. This boy man, I just wanna sit him down and feed him hamburgers and give him a strong cup of coffee. Like hot damn, he can never catch a break, my poor boy.

I don't post my own art here often, but please just ask before you use it, and please don't repost. Reblog away if you want but I'd like to keep credit ^_^

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Book Review – ‘Cobalt Blue’ by Matthew Reilly

Get your superhero on. Genre: Action, Thriller, Science Fiction No. of pages: 216 For 35 years, the United States and Russia each had their own superhero. Three days ago, America’s hero died. Today will be bad. In the face of an overwhelming attack, one young woman – unassuming and anonymous – might be America’s only hope. Her code name … COBALT BLUE This was a fun quick read – and from…

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Btw, did I mention that the main character of Seven Deadly Wonders, Jack West, Jr., lost his left arm because he shoved it through a wall of fucking lava?

Ironically, he did it to turn off the lava flowing into the room.

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Books on my Spring 2024 TBR

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish and is now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week a new theme is suggested for bloggers to participate in. Create your own Top Ten list that fits that topic – putting your unique spin on it if you want. Everyone is welcome to join but…

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Day 17: JOMPBPC: I Wish I Read It Sooner

I bought this beautiful book in 2016, but I didn't end up reading it till 2023! 😋❤️

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6 Things on the Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly

It appears that I love to torture myself by giving myself a certain amount of points I need to think of. This is a sequel-review to 7 Things on the Seven Ancient Wonders that I wrote yesterday. So, once again, in no particular order:

1.      Once again, MR astounds with his action scenes and general fast-pace writing. There’s barely time to breathe, from waking up with Jack on the farm until (*spoilers*) he falls into the abyss with Switchblade. The book, as with 7AW, takes place over about a week? (It’s difficult to keep count when the book suddenly leaps back a few days). In my opinion, that just makes the book an even faster read, despite being (once again) just under 500 pages.

2.      I don’t think I mentioned this in my 7AW reviews but - the nicknames. God, I love them all so much. And what’s more, Jack and the rest of the crew take them as seriously as if they’d been their call-signs all along. I mean, Pooh Bear, Princess, Stretch? These are all names that other characters, the ‘bad guys’, have mocked. Most of them die (if I recall correctly, they all die eventually? But that’s for the Five Greatest Warriors to remind me).

3.      Astro. My poor, sweet summer child. He’s so willing to help, and pure, and honestly, I love him so much. 10/10 would love. Alas, he’s an unwitting infiltrator for the USA, but he doesn’t know that, and as such, gets put into a rather uncomfortable position. Poor guy. Also he gave Jack the real deus ex machina in the form of a maghook.

4.      The twins. Lachlan and Julius Adamson aka The Cowboys. What nerds. Like, really, they have achieved a wondrous level of geek and I adore them for it. Also they’re Scottish, have red hair and wear matching t-shirts. What’s not to love? (I particularly love how in the HP code, they’re Fred and George. Suits them perfectly.) Also, they’re geniuses. And they’re trying their best. And they make friends with  a bunch of pirates, so really, I once again ask, what’s not to love?

5.      That part where Zoe steps up and saves nearly everyone? God, I didn’t know it when I first read it when I was ~ 13, but I suspect now that I may have had one heck of a crush on Princess Zoe. Actually, that’s a lie. I still do have a crush on Princess Zoe. Fight me. Basically, Zoe is freaking awesome, and she’s such a wonderful mum to Lily even though she probably doesn’t realise it, even though Lily thinks of her like a mum and wants her to marry Jack so she can officially be her mum. I’m fine, I’m definitely not crying over found-families again. Nope, not me.

6.      Alby Calvin. The sweetest, purest little boy you’ll ever have the honour to read about. He’s frighteningly smart, probably as smart as Wizard, I mean what kind of 12 year old knows what the universe expansion problem is?? I’m five years older and still don’t get that. And he’s nice, and loyal, and an amazing friend to Lily. But to me, it’s his bravery that stands out. He’s ripped from his peaceful existence and thrust into a world he probably never thought about, and most certainly never would have even thought about getting involved in and he just – goes with it. He gets shot, he carries on despite being kidnapped, and he just, I don’t know. He’s amazing, and wonderful, and I am horrifically protective of him. (Also shout-out to Jack and Lily for learning Auslan for Alby).

So, in conclusion, my reread of Six Sacred Stones was just as satisfying as the first time I read it. God I love this series. And once again, if you love gratuitous death, ancient buildings and global conspiracy theories, I highly recommend you give the series a read.

Carmen out

#ProtectAlby2k16

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5 Things on the Five Greatest Warriors by Matthew Reilly

Well, seeing as I did the same format with 7AW and 6SS, I thought I may as well continue it with 5GW. So, in no particular order:

1.      Wizard’s death. I mean, spoiler alert, but honestly? It was heartbreakingly written, poignant and so damn unfair that it just hurts. Wizard, despite being the oldest of Jack’s crew, was always so full of life, so full of excitement and just, well, he kind of always reminded me of my own grandad. His final words to Jack, Zoe and Lily are all to remind them how much he loves them, “Sweet Lily. You’re like the granddaughter I never had. I love you.” “Your father is wrong about you - you are so much better than he is…Jack, it was my privilege to be by your side all these years.” And of course, he totally gives away that Jack was going to ask Zoe to marry him and then wimped out, and it’s as hilarious as it is heartbreaking. I’m fine, honestly, that’s just the rain on my face.

2.      The living tombs. Goddamn those things horrify me. MR is a master of inventing terrible yet fantastic ways to kill people (*cough* being fed upside down to killer whales *cough*), yet the living tombs are just as horrifying. I mean, you’re completely naked and exposed, unable to move, suspended in a ghoulish green liquid and you’re there as a trophy. It’s just… sinister and creepy. Remind me to never get on MR’s bad side.

3.      Iolanthe Compton-Jones. I’m not gonna lie, I have a love-hate relationship with her. On the one hand, she betrays Jack and the crew, and works with Carnivore, on the other she did save Jack from falling into the abyss. It’s important to note, however, that nearly all of her actions save saving Jack were dictated by the Royal Family so they could continue with their rule. I like to think that after she’s dropped off in New Zealand she doesn’t return to her post at Windsor, and that she becomes this really awesome treasure hunter, living by her own rules because she’s been told what to do for so long. Ahem, anyway, she’s awesome, and also I hate her a little bit, but I think that if she turns up in another book, I could grow to love her.

4.      Wolf, aka Jack West Sr. What. An. Asshole. This sort of ties into the found-families theme again that I keep going on about, because Wolf is the perfect example that blood families are not better than found-families. It’s a contrast between Wolf, Jack and Rapier’s relationship, and Jack’s relationship with the crew that really highlights that the families you choose rather than those you are born into can be far more positive relationships. Back to Wolf. Wow, what an asshole. Also that ‘higher breeding’ comment he makes to Jack? I bet that he’s also a fucking WASP. And he’s an asshole. I mean, he left Alby in the third vertex, in the dark, to die. Presumably he would’ve starved. Goddamn, that man’s got no heart.

5.      Jack. The fifth greatest warrior. It’s fucking hilarious, especially at the end when Zoe is telling him and then realises that he knows. It’s particularly amusing because at the start of the book when Diane’s telling them about the Five Greatest Warriors, and one of the twins points out that it could be him, Jack instantly turns on denial mode. Classic Jack. Never putting himself in the spotlight.

Also on Jack, but not in relation to him as the fifth greatest warrior, is his treatment of Astro. He gives Astro the chance to explain himself (on Pooh’s advice, but the thing is, he actually listened to Pooh rather than his own anger), and Astro comes through, and is just generally the same, sweet and awesome guy that he is. Yep, I’m fine, I’m not having older brother!Jack to younger brother!Astro feels at all. Nope. Not me. (Speaking of, after he gets rescued from the living tombs, what happens to Astro???)

Right, so now I’ve finished the three books released so far, and I’m going to have to wait until October to read the Four Legendary Kingdoms, which is a wait that’s going to kill me. But anyway, I fucking love this series. And MR. So, yeah.

Carmen out

#ProtectAlby2k16 

#ProtectAstro2k16