Bookmarked... #19

The return of the (mostly) weekly post letting you all know what I'm reading and have lined up for the week! It's my own version of Sheila at Book Journey's It's Monday What Are You Reading (now hosted by Kathryn at Book Date) and I have her permission to rename it for my own nefarious reasons...

I have lost track of what I've read or what I've stuck bookmarks in since my last Bookmarked... post so I'm just going to start afresh and let you know what I've read over the last week and what I may or may not start reading this week!

Click on the covers to check out the relevant Goodreads pages!

Finished

Those of you who follow me on Goodreads will know of my strong dislike of the Austen Project by The Borough Press. Having read and hated strongly disliked two of the previous three instalments I swore I wouldn't read any more but it's Curtis Sittenfeld, it's Pride & Prejudice and if you haven't read Prep, go do so now...

Finally read another fairy tale retelling that counts towards my fairy tale challenge (which I should probably give up on, I'm so far behind!) A Wild Swan and Other Tales by Michael Cunningham is a gem of a book, most definitely for adults - these retellings are not pretty - and beautifully written by Cunningham and beautifully illustrated by Yuko Shimizu.

I've read a couple of books by Sam Christer, enough to know that his books are my go-to for when I want something thriller-ish but easy to read. As soon as I saw he was delving into the world of Sherlock Holmes this was a must-read and I absolutely loved it! I'm honestly hoping this was the first in a series because that ending was so open!

Currently Reading

This is a re-read as I'm on the blog tour for the second book, Alfie Bloom and the Talisman Thief in June. If you like middle grade fiction this is definitely worth checking out, great writing and Alfie is a fantastic character!

A YA novel about fairies and a teenager developing strange magical powers, halfway through this and loving it!

Waiting On Wednesday #148 - Warlock Holmes

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

Warlock Holmes: A Study In Brimstone - G S Denning

ISBN - 9781783299713

Publisher - Titan

Release date - May 17 2016

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

Sherlock Holmes is an unparalleled genius who uses the gift of deduction and reason to solve the most vexing of crimes.

Warlock Holmes, however, is an idiot. A good man, perhaps; a font of arcane power, certainly. But he’s brilliantly dim. Frankly, he couldn’t deduce his way out of a paper bag. The only thing he has really got going for him are the might of a thousand demons and his stalwart flatmate. Thankfully, Dr. Watson is always there to aid him through the treacherous shoals of Victorian propriety… and save him from a gruesome death every now and again.

An imaginative, irreverent and addictive reimagining of the world’s favourite detective, Warlock Holmes retains the charm, tone and feel of the original stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle while finally giving the flat at 221b Baker Street what it’s been missing for all these years: an alchemy table.

Reimagining six stories, this riotous mash-up is a glorious new take on the ever-popular Sherlock Holmes myth, featuring the vampire Inspector Vladislav Lestrade, the ogre Inspector Torg Grogsson, and Dr. Watson, the true detective at 221b. And Sherlock. A warlock.

I love Sherlock Holmes, a lot. Titan also loves Sherlock, they do a vast array of reimaginings and so on and this is the latest offering. Except it's not Sherlock Holmes this time, it's Warlock Holmes and the great detective is an idiot... I'm intrigued to see what six stories they've chosen and I can't wait to meet the vampire Inspector Lestrade!

Waiting On Wednesday #111 - The Fifth Heart

Waiting On Wednesday, where we put the spotlight on upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating, is hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week's choice is -

The Fifth Heart - Dan Simmons

ISBN - 9780316198820

Publisher - Little Brown & Company

Release date - March 24 2015

Find - Goodreads | Book Depository

In the tradition of Drood, a historical mystery in which Sherlock Holmes and Henry James team up to solve a literary puzzle.

In 1893, Sherlock Holmes and Henry James come to America together to solve the mystery of the 1885 death of Clover Adams, wife of the esteemed historian Henry Adams - a member of the Adams family that has given the United States two Presidents. Clover's suicide appears to be more than it at first seemed; the suspected foul play may involve matters of national importance.

Holmes is currently on his Great Hiatus - his three-year absence after Reichenbach Falls during which time the people of London believe him to be deceased. Holmes has faked his own death because, through his powers of ratiocination, the great detective has come to the conclusion that he is a fictional character.

This leads to serious complications for James - for if his esteemed fellow investigator is merely a work of fiction, what does that make him? And what can the master storyteller do to fight against the sinister power -- possibly named Moriarty - that may or may not be controlling them from the shadows?

I used to be a bit of a snob as far as anything Sherlock Holmes was connected. There was only one actor that could play him on television - Jeremy Brett, and forget the idea of other people using Sherlock in their books. I even threw my arms up in disgust at Sherlock with the fantabulous Benedict Cumberbatch. I remember watching the very first episode with my mom and both of us being horrified although I know better now and Sherlock has a special place in my heart. I've been a fan of Dan Simmons for a long time now and there are books he's written that I haven't liked and books that I've loved. The Fifth Heart is, I've no doubt, going to be a book I either love or hate but I am looking forward to reading it. Out at the end of this month in the US or tomorrow in the UK the cover above is the US version, the one below is the UK cover!