Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "favourite-books"
My Favourite Books - September & October
Oops... it looks as though I forgot to do a September blog in my favourite books series. Sorry about that, there has been lots going on what with the launch of the BestsellerBound Recommends blog, my KDP Select promotion of Coincidences, and editing my upcoming novel Haunted, so somehow this series slipped through the net. This month I will be choosing 2 favourite books to make up for forgetting last months post!!
If you click on the book covers below you can check out my choices for January through to August.
My choices for this month are:
Gone by Julie Elizabeth Powell
and
The Guardian's Apprentice by J. Michael Radcliffe
These two books have something in common. Not only that they are both fantasy books, but they introduced me to a new genre of book.
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When I met Julie Elizabeth Powell on Goodreads back in 2008, we swapped books; she read A Time to Tell, and I read Gone. I was new to self-promotion at the time, but was aware that reviews are necessary to help promote books. By swapping books with other indie authors I came across many different types of books that I would not necessarily choose to read. I am so glad I read Gone. I'd never read this type of fantasy novel before and it made me realise that I was missing out. After reading Gone I became a fan of Julie Elizabeth Powell and have gone on to read her other books. The only one I haven't read is the third in her Avalon trilogy, but I am looking forward to that. I would highly recommend all her books.
The reason I've chosen Gone as my favourite Julie Elizabeth Powell book is because I know it is the one that started her on her writing journey and also means the most to her. It is a fantasy novel but is inspired by a tragic event in her life. Julie's daughter's heart stopped when she was just 2 years old, and she suffered brain damaged because of it. She lived for a further 17 years, but Julie says she always wondered where her daughter had 'gone', as she didn't seem to still be inside her body. Julie used her imagination to create the world of Avalon. She later went on to create the Avalon trilogy of books, which is a great fantasy series.
Here's the review I wrote of Gone when I read it:
I enjoyed this book. It is a wonderful story which kept me interested from the beginning right through to the last page. It is based on a true event in the authors life which inspired the tale. 'Gone' is a fantasy story which takes the reader to a strange land called 'Avalon' where there are goblins, talking flowers, eerie ghouls, dangers, wonders and more. By the end you are left wondering whether Avalon is a real place, and kind of hoping that it is! The author has done a great job telling her tale. Charley, the main character, has a brain-damaged daughter, and she has lived with the guilt of giving her daughter away to be looked after by someone else. She no longer recognises her daughter whenever she visits, and has in fact stopped visiting her very often. One day Charley has a heart attack and ends up in a place called Avalon, there she meets her daughter and the story begins. 'Gone' uses a fantasy tale to tell a very important story about how our actions and choices in life affect other people. I would highly recommend 'Gone' to anyone who loves a good book.
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My next pick, The Guardian's Apprentice is one that introduced me to a different type of fantasy tale, one full of dragons and wizards. Again, not something I would usually choose to read, but having met the author online, I wanted to try one of his books.
Here's the review I wrote when I read it:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don't usually read this type of fantasy novel, but it really kept me interested and entertained.
Keegan is about 30 years old in a mundane job, feeling bored with his life. Then one day he meets a black cat and his life changes for ever. He is whisked into a world of magic and danger, where wizards rule and magic prevails. Keegan learns something about his ancestry that he didn't know and finds out that he may soon be responsible for saving the entire world. The Guardian's Apprentice is a satisfying fantasy adventure. There are many weird and wonderful characters. I would recommend this to readers of fantasy novels, young adult and adult. I like the way the author has created another world with its own history and rules. There are lots of twists and turns in this story with some gripping action scenes. It's well written with a cast of characters who come alive on the page. This is the first book in the series and I will definitely be reading book two!
And, yes, I did go on to read book 2 Bloodstone - The Guardian's Curse and am now eagerly awaiting book 3!
I hope you'll try the books, and if you're not already a fantasy fan, that you will converted as I was!
If you click on the book covers below you can check out my choices for January through to August.
My choices for this month are:
Gone by Julie Elizabeth Powell
and
The Guardian's Apprentice by J. Michael Radcliffe
These two books have something in common. Not only that they are both fantasy books, but they introduced me to a new genre of book.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When I met Julie Elizabeth Powell on Goodreads back in 2008, we swapped books; she read A Time to Tell, and I read Gone. I was new to self-promotion at the time, but was aware that reviews are necessary to help promote books. By swapping books with other indie authors I came across many different types of books that I would not necessarily choose to read. I am so glad I read Gone. I'd never read this type of fantasy novel before and it made me realise that I was missing out. After reading Gone I became a fan of Julie Elizabeth Powell and have gone on to read her other books. The only one I haven't read is the third in her Avalon trilogy, but I am looking forward to that. I would highly recommend all her books.
The reason I've chosen Gone as my favourite Julie Elizabeth Powell book is because I know it is the one that started her on her writing journey and also means the most to her. It is a fantasy novel but is inspired by a tragic event in her life. Julie's daughter's heart stopped when she was just 2 years old, and she suffered brain damaged because of it. She lived for a further 17 years, but Julie says she always wondered where her daughter had 'gone', as she didn't seem to still be inside her body. Julie used her imagination to create the world of Avalon. She later went on to create the Avalon trilogy of books, which is a great fantasy series.
Here's the review I wrote of Gone when I read it:
I enjoyed this book. It is a wonderful story which kept me interested from the beginning right through to the last page. It is based on a true event in the authors life which inspired the tale. 'Gone' is a fantasy story which takes the reader to a strange land called 'Avalon' where there are goblins, talking flowers, eerie ghouls, dangers, wonders and more. By the end you are left wondering whether Avalon is a real place, and kind of hoping that it is! The author has done a great job telling her tale. Charley, the main character, has a brain-damaged daughter, and she has lived with the guilt of giving her daughter away to be looked after by someone else. She no longer recognises her daughter whenever she visits, and has in fact stopped visiting her very often. One day Charley has a heart attack and ends up in a place called Avalon, there she meets her daughter and the story begins. 'Gone' uses a fantasy tale to tell a very important story about how our actions and choices in life affect other people. I would highly recommend 'Gone' to anyone who loves a good book.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My next pick, The Guardian's Apprentice is one that introduced me to a different type of fantasy tale, one full of dragons and wizards. Again, not something I would usually choose to read, but having met the author online, I wanted to try one of his books.
Here's the review I wrote when I read it:
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I don't usually read this type of fantasy novel, but it really kept me interested and entertained.
Keegan is about 30 years old in a mundane job, feeling bored with his life. Then one day he meets a black cat and his life changes for ever. He is whisked into a world of magic and danger, where wizards rule and magic prevails. Keegan learns something about his ancestry that he didn't know and finds out that he may soon be responsible for saving the entire world. The Guardian's Apprentice is a satisfying fantasy adventure. There are many weird and wonderful characters. I would recommend this to readers of fantasy novels, young adult and adult. I like the way the author has created another world with its own history and rules. There are lots of twists and turns in this story with some gripping action scenes. It's well written with a cast of characters who come alive on the page. This is the first book in the series and I will definitely be reading book two!
And, yes, I did go on to read book 2 Bloodstone - The Guardian's Curse and am now eagerly awaiting book 3!
I hope you'll try the books, and if you're not already a fantasy fan, that you will converted as I was!
My favourite Books - December pick
This is the last post in my series of My Favourite Books. This year, I have been sharing my favourite reads each month, and you can check those out at the links below:
January: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
February: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
March: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
April: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
May: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
June: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
July: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
August: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
September & October: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
November: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
This is my final choice for the series:
My favourite book for December is You Wish... by Terry Tyler.
Every now and then you discover another favourite author, and when I read "You Wish..." that's what happened. I loved the writing style and the book was very entertaining. I'd recommend it to everyone. Here's the review I wrote when I first read it:
"Wow! Just wow! I loved this book. It's funny, insightful, thought-provoking, well-written, contains realistic characters. It's the perfect book if you want to escape into a story. Terry Tyler's writing style is very relaxed and easy to read. It's reminiscent of Marian Keyes at her best. If you like contemporary fiction that will make you laugh out loud, and will keep you interested all the way through, you should read this book.
The story revolves around a Wishing Stone. Various characters make wishes on the stone and their lives seem to be changed because of it. But the question is, did their lives change because they made a wish on the stone, or did they just choose to think that? The book cleverly looks at the idea of fate and destiny versus choice and free will. It follows the life of the main character Ruth from the 1980s to the present, and the various people she has come into contact with because of the Wishing Stone.
The books covers a variety of topics, such as obsession, drug addiction, Internet stalking, relationships, reality TV chat shows.
You Wish is an entertaining book that you won't want to put down. I felt as if I really got to know the characters and could sympathise with their problems.
The ending was particularly poignant, I thought, bringing the various parts of story together beautifully and really making the reader think about whether we create our own reality or whether there are other forces at play.
This is a must read, and Terry Tyler is now one of my favourite authors. I will be reading her other books. This type of book makes me proud to be part of the indie publishing world."
The book is currently on special offer at Amazon for just $1.23/77p! You should grab a copy now; you won't regret it.
Here are the links: Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/You-Wish-ebook/...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Wish-eboo...
January: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
February: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
March: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
April: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
May: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
June: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
July: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
August: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
September & October: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
November: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...
This is my final choice for the series:
My favourite book for December is You Wish... by Terry Tyler.
Every now and then you discover another favourite author, and when I read "You Wish..." that's what happened. I loved the writing style and the book was very entertaining. I'd recommend it to everyone. Here's the review I wrote when I first read it:
"Wow! Just wow! I loved this book. It's funny, insightful, thought-provoking, well-written, contains realistic characters. It's the perfect book if you want to escape into a story. Terry Tyler's writing style is very relaxed and easy to read. It's reminiscent of Marian Keyes at her best. If you like contemporary fiction that will make you laugh out loud, and will keep you interested all the way through, you should read this book.
The story revolves around a Wishing Stone. Various characters make wishes on the stone and their lives seem to be changed because of it. But the question is, did their lives change because they made a wish on the stone, or did they just choose to think that? The book cleverly looks at the idea of fate and destiny versus choice and free will. It follows the life of the main character Ruth from the 1980s to the present, and the various people she has come into contact with because of the Wishing Stone.
The books covers a variety of topics, such as obsession, drug addiction, Internet stalking, relationships, reality TV chat shows.
You Wish is an entertaining book that you won't want to put down. I felt as if I really got to know the characters and could sympathise with their problems.
The ending was particularly poignant, I thought, bringing the various parts of story together beautifully and really making the reader think about whether we create our own reality or whether there are other forces at play.
This is a must read, and Terry Tyler is now one of my favourite authors. I will be reading her other books. This type of book makes me proud to be part of the indie publishing world."
The book is currently on special offer at Amazon for just $1.23/77p! You should grab a copy now; you won't regret it.
Here are the links: Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/You-Wish-ebook/...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/You-Wish-eboo...
"Coincidences" featured in Top 10 books of 2012!
I was thrilled to see that author Susan Buchanan included my novel, Coincidences in her top 10 reads of 2012! This is a great compliment, as I know Susan reads a lot of books, and she is a talented author.
Here's a link to her top 10 list:
http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/...
Here's a link to her top 10 list:
http://susancbuchanan.blogspot.co.uk/...
Favourite reads 2017
Here's a list of ten of the best books I read this year.
If you're looking for something to read, try one of them - you won't be disappointed!
(Slight Return) - Neil Schiller
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075PBR6F6/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075PBR6F6/
******************
Dark Flash - Maria Haskins
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Flash-M...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Flash-Mar...
************************
Redhead - Jason McIntyre
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Redhead-Dove...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Redhead-Doveta...
**********************
Condemned - Darcia Helle
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07562J92P
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07562J92P
************************
Dark Flash 2 - Maria Haskins
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0776NSXR2
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776NSXR2
**************************
Forever Freaky - Tom Upton
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Frea...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Freaky...
***************************
Deathbed - Jason McIntyre
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N1QQSDJ/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1QQSDJ/
*************************
Invisible Victims - Kat McCarthy
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
***********************
The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002361MLA
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002361MLA
************************
Stuff The Turkey - Tara Ford
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
If you're looking for something to read, try one of them - you won't be disappointed!
(Slight Return) - Neil Schiller
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B075PBR6F6/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075PBR6F6/
******************
Dark Flash - Maria Haskins
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Flash-M...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Dark-Flash-Mar...
************************
Redhead - Jason McIntyre
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Redhead-Dove...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Redhead-Doveta...
**********************
Condemned - Darcia Helle
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07562J92P
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07562J92P
************************
Dark Flash 2 - Maria Haskins
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0776NSXR2
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0776NSXR2
**************************
Forever Freaky - Tom Upton
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Forever-Frea...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Freaky...
***************************
Deathbed - Jason McIntyre
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01N1QQSDJ/
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1QQSDJ/
*************************
Invisible Victims - Kat McCarthy
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
***********************
The Power of Now - Eckhart Tolle
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B002361MLA
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002361MLA
************************
Stuff The Turkey - Tara Ford
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog...
Buy links:
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01...
