Sheila's Guests and Reviews

 We found a Ben Aaronovitch novel in, not surprisingly, London while we were visiting family. It caught my husband's eye. As Harry Potter addicts, how could we resist the Harry Potter grows up and becomes a policeman vibe written on the piece of paper advertising the book? So we bought it, brought it home on the plane, and were hooked. I have to wait for my husband to finish one before I can start, so I'm following the series slowly, and these are the ones I read in 2024 while my broken wrist was keeping me from writing book reviews. Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch Peter Grant makes for a great narrator. Sarcastic, cynical, bitingly humorous, fiercely honest and loyal, and frequently out of his depth, he’s the human face of London’s rather secretive magic police. Together with Leslie, who “lost” her face some time ago, a dog that barks at magic, and a boss who feels like a cross between Gandalf, Dumbledore, and a regular police inspector, he investigates and solves mysteries ...

 There's a cool resonance to that kind of title isn't there? I read a Court of Thorns and Roses some time ago, and finally got hold of the second two in the series. And loved them. Then there's a House of Salt and Sorrows, with a name that matches these, and a theme - fairytale all grown up - that matches too. Interesting... A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas I think I’m hooked (blame my daughter-in-law). I love this series, and this second book was no disappointment. I love how the author takes a fairly complete story, then adds a whole new level to entice and entertain. Feyre and Tamlin were surely in love, but now their relationship fractures under the strain of the events in book 1. And maybe the fractures were always there. And maybe they’re not meant for each other. Except perhaps… All the questions feel so real, and Feyre’s struggles to come to terms with her feelings resonate with the reader. Meanwhile politics and power rear their ugly heads and somethi...