The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees
Sue Monk Kidd

Front cover

Date read: 15 - 21 August 2018
Length: 274 pages


Lily runs away from home after helping Rosaleen, her black servant, escape the hospital and a jail sentence. With only a photograph left by her long dead mother, the pair find themselves in the care of three beekeeping sisters. Yearning to learn more about her mother, Lily seeks the council of August, who knew her mother right before she died. Lily and Rosaleen have a new home!


Oh my goodness! It has been a long time since I've read a book like this. One where you're thinking about it all the time and you just don't want to put it down at night. I found myself going into a daze during the say, thinking about this book and what would happen in the next instalment when I read again. I just wanted to get home so I could read.

I wish there was a sequel. Sort of a many years down the line story, what happens when everyone is settled and their life looking after the bees.

I like the sisters names, how they are all months of the year starting from April. It's sad about what happened to her, and May. I felt sucked in to their world and felt real sadness with these characters. You really feel for them and it's kind of like you're there with them, experiencing all the same things they are.

The Secret Life of Bees is set in South Carolina, America at the height of racial discrimination.  This was a time when a coloured person could be beaten up or even killed, just for the colour of their skin. But Lily is a kind hearted soul, and didn't care about any of that. She cared about what was on the inside. The sisters she goes to live with are coloured, and a few people who came to visit, mentioned to her that this was strange, she was lowering herself by being in their presence, living with them etc. But Lily didn't care. She was happy and she loved these people.

I have a few more Sue Monk Kidd books, so when I get around to them I will be very excited!

FYI, The Secret Life of Bees film is also really good. I actually saw it years ago, before I read the book, and I loved it then too. I will be re-watching at some point soon!




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The Wee Librocubicularist

A Dance With Dragons 1: Dreams and Dust (A Song of Ice and Fire #5 part 1) by George R. R. Martin

A Dance With Dragons 1: Dreams and Dust
A Song of Ice and Fire #5 part 1
George R. R. Martin

Front cover

Date read: 29 July - 14 August 2018
Length: 624 pages (687 including appendix)


Dany is struggling to hold Mereen and control her three dragons. The citizens are restless and some are angry. Jon Snow is Lord Commander of the Nights Watch and has to make some difficult decisions. Jorah Mormont has Tyrion Lannister hostage and aims to deliver him to the queen, but which queen?


I love Dany. Always have from the start. In this book you really get to see her struggle between what she wants and what she should do as queen. You realise how much she has grown in these novels.

One character I usually like, but I've kind of went off in this book is Jon Snow. He seems to be a bit ruthless and he loses his good buy charm. I know he is trying to prove himself as Lord Commander but it makes me a bit sad.

I want to learn more about Bran. He goes off on his own adventure and it gets quite interesting, so I am eager to read more about him!

I hope the second half of this volume has some answers because it is the last one published, and it might be a while before the next one is out! I'm really looking forward to reading it but at the same time I don't want it to be over!




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Half a King (Shattered Sea #1) by Joe Abercrombie

Half a King
Shattered Sea #1
Joe Abercrombie

Front cover

Date read: 20 - 28 July 2018
Length: 373 pages


Yarvi is a prince with a crippled hand. When he is declared king after the death of his father and brother, his uncle betrays him and he finds himself a slave. Determined to get back to Gettland and have his revenge, he escapes with a few unlikely friends. But one of those friends is not all he seems...


I like Yarvi. He is a very well rounded character and very believable. Mostly he is good although he has moments of darkness - like anyone. He's smart, and though he can think a lot of silly things, he knows when to act and when to leave it. He's selfless, sometimes putting the needs of others before himself. And all round likeable character.

Half a King was a bit slow to start I thought. For a long time I had in my head that this was a 3* book. It started to pick up near the end and I knew it was worth more than 3*. I wish Goodreads did half stars sometimes, and I know I could implement my own rating system, but I want to keep it the same as my Goodreads. So really I would have rated this a 3.5*.

I was a little surprised by the ending. I don't want to give away too much here, but it was at this point you realise quite how selfless Yarvi is. But also I think he is somewhat relieved.



Looking forward to Half the World.

Joe Abercrombie

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Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen
Red Queen #1
Victoria Aveyard

Front cover

Date read: 10 - 19 July 2018
Length: 383 pages


Mare Barrow is a Red girl from the Stilts, ruled by the Silvers. The Reds are common and the Silvers have superpowers. But Mare possesses a power of her own, so the Silvers hide her in plain sight in order to maintain their status. Will they succeed at keeping Mare's powers a secret, or will she bring them down from inside?


It's such an interesting idea having people with two different kinds of blood. But of course it creates a divide, because what else would you expect? I think more will come of this, so I'm looking forward to the next two books to find out.

The brothers Maven and Cal are very different from each other! I don't want to say too much because I might spoil something, but I was a bit surprised at the end. Basically you don't know whose side you're on.

I don't like Evangeline. She is conceited and seems quite controlling. Not someone I want to be around. I don't particularly like the queen either.


I'm looking forward to the next book, Glass Sword, to find out what happens next!

Victoria Aveyard

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A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4) by George R. R. Martin

A Feast for Crows
A Song of Ice and Fire #4
George R. R. Martin

Front cover

Date read: 19 June - 9 July 2018
Length: 778 pages (849 including appendix)


Tommen is king of the Seven Kingdoms but until he comes of age, there isn't much he can do. His new wife Margaery is not loved by Cersei and things are very tense in Kings Landing. Arya has found the Faceless Men, but fails to become No One. Samwell travels to the Citadel with Gilly and the new born. There are many plots against each other, who will be left standing?


Here we mainly follow the characters in and around Kings Landing, and as such it wasn't my favourite in the series. There's no Dany! I believe she will be in the next book so I'm sure I will enjoy that a bit more. That's not to say A Feast for Crows isn't good though, because it is!

As Tommen is a child, Kings Landing is really ruled my Queen Cersei and her council. And what a little scheming person she is! She's one character I've never really liked, less so in the books than the TV show. She'll get her just rewards and we begin to see that at the end of this book, thankfully!

I am really excited to read A Dance With Dragons because I know it will have one of my favourite characters in it! I can't believe I only have 2 books left to read though, it's kind of upsetting!




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The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe (Robinson Crusoe #2) by Daniel Defoe

The Farther Adventures of Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe #2
Daniel Defoe

Front cover

Date read: 13 - 18 June 2018
Length: 215 pages


Crusoe seeks adventure once more, and with his companion Friday, sets sail. He visits a great many places; the Brazils, back to his island to see what has become of it, China, Russia, and eventually back home to retire at the age of 72.


Now. What a difference there was reading this one compared to the classic everyone knows. I'm not sure if it is because I was reading an older book (which I borrowed from the library's reserve stock!) or because it wasn't a modernisation of a classic, but the language was very interesting. In my opinion it is the best thing about this book. The way things were spelled back then and just the different use of words kept my interest more than the plot.

I can't say the Robinson Crusoe's farther adventures is something that I would recommend to others or read again. The first one had a bit of an interesting story, yes. But here, not so much. There was far too much God talk for my liking, and while I'm not saying that people can't enjoy it because of that, it's just not for me. Telling people that they should convert to Christianity and believe in God or they're wrong or doomed for hell, is not something I want to read.

For the plot and a story for leisure, this is not one I'd recommend. But for an insight on how language was used nearly 300 years ago, it is quite interesting.




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Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married by Marian Keyes

Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married
Marian Keyes

Front cover

Date read: 25 May - 12 June 2018
Length: 740 pages

Lucy and her colleagues visit a psychic, where she is told she will be getting married in about a year. The only thing is, she doesn't even have a boyfriend. Lucy's flatmates, Karen and Charlotte, are distraught by this news, as it means things will change. Then Lucy meets Gus. Could he be The One? But he doesn't even have a job, she's never been to his home, and he sometimes disappears for weeks at a time. He doesn't exactly sound like husband material...


Probably the best thing about this book is the wide range of characters. There are both male and female strong characters, as well as different ages. They are all very believable, whether you like them or not. I like Megan and Meredia, I think they rub against each other in a comical way. As for her flatmates, Charlotte seems okay but I'm not really a fan of Karen. She seems selfish and generally not very nice. As for Lucy herself, she can be a bit obsessive. After going to the psychic she looks into every little detail and gets obsessed with Gus.

As much as this is mainly a comical book, there is a bit of seriousness in it too, with Lucy's father being an alcoholic. After her mother leaves him, she moves in for a while to try to help, until it becomes too much for her. Lucy does the best she can in the situation, and that is something that should be admired.

For the story itself I wanted to give 3*, however because I liked the characters so much I decided to up my rating a little. It's a good summer read!

Marian Keyes

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