Month: December 2018

Christmas Book Tag

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

1) Anticipation: The Christmas excitement is real, what book release(s) are you most anticipating?

Perfect Crime by Helen Fields (the 5th installment in the DI Callander series)

Jackson Lamb Thriller 6 by Mick Herron

2) Christmas Songs & Carols: What book or author can you not help but sing it’s praises?

Helen Fields

Mick Herron

Call me by your name

Chris Ryan

3) Gingerbread Houses: What book or series has wonderful world building?

The Narnia series

Alice in wonderland

4) A Christmas Carol: Favorite classic or one that you want to read

Peter Pan

The adventures of Sherlock Holmes

War and peace

5) Christmas Sweets: What book would you love to receive for Christmas

Darcy Bussel book (I did get it 🙂

6) Candles in the Window: What book gives you that warm fuzzy feeling

The other side of lost by Jessie Kirby

7) Christmas Trees & Decorations: What are some of your favorite book covers?

The other side of lost

Only the Ocean by Natasha Carthew

( I have previously written a book on this)

8) Christmas Joy: What are some of your favorite things about Christmas And/Or some of your favorite Christmas memories

Being with family, the festive spirit the cold days spent all cost inside.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(Please comment your answers to the above questions)

Book Box Club – December

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

Theme: Rule the Stars

In this months box we got a bunch of goodies all related to the above theme. To begin with we got a lovely cinder candle by Elvenwick Candles which is scented with juniper, elderberries, orange and cranberries. Included was also a unashamedly bookish 2019 calendar by book box club alongside red rising pencil. A kady purse illustrated by Rowatree was also including as well as an astronaut bath bomb by Druid and the Witch.

As well as all of this we also received this months featured book which is; The Splintered Silence by Kayla Olsen.

This book is all about Captain Lindley we she navigated through chaos after the previous astronauts on the space station die from a deadly virus. Will she be able to survive this trip and solve the ships deadly secrets ?

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment if you receive these boxes or similar ones or have ever read the featured book )

Bookish Christmas Gifts

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ 2 Comments

Christmas is just around the corner so u thought I would share a list of possible bookish Christmas gifts.

  1. Comfy pyjamas to snuggle up in front of the fire in to read your favourite book.
  2. A new book bag to keep your treasured novels safe
  3. A candle to give your room some atmosphere whilst reading
  4. A new book or series to enjoy Iver the festive period
  5. A bookish subscription box so the gift keeps coming
  6. A personalised book to put the receiver if the gift into the story.

I hope this helps with any last minute gifts!

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS Comment your favourite bookish gifts)

Christmas Films that were based on books

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

Many of the most popular christmas films were based upon novels and books and seen as it is nearly Christmas, I thought I would share a list of them for you.

  • The Polar Express – Based off of a book with the same name released in 1985 by Chris Van Allsburg
Image result for the polar express book
  • How the Grinch Stole Christmas –  based off of Dr Seuss famous book
Image result for how the grinch stole christmas dr seuss
  • A Christmas Carol – book released in 1843 written by Charles Dickens
Image result for a christmas carol charles dickens
  • Twas the Night Before Christmas – This is based off of a poem by Clement Clarke Moore released in 1823
Image result for twas the night before christmas clement c moore
  • The Nutcracker – Based off of the Nutcracker and the Mouse King written by E.T.A. Hoffman in 1816
Image result for the nutcracker and the mouse king

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment any other christmas books or films that you like)

‘ALL THE HIDDEN TRUTHS

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

‘All the Hidden Truths’ by Claire Askew is a novel which I recently won in a competition and I am really excited to read. It is a psychological and suspense thriller novel which was released in August 2018. A man named Ryan Summers walked into Three Rivers College and killed thirteen women and then himself. It follows his mother, the first victim and DI Helen Birch as they all ask the same question. As they try to find out what happens and the media are looking for the truth, the truth seems to be further and further away.

I am excited to read this as it seems like something I would typically enjoy reading. It is a crime novel that also features some police procedural and investigations. From the reviews I have read it is a really intense and shocking book however realistic as it a situation which is something that seems to be happening more and more. It also shows how this impacts people from three different perspectives; the mother of the criminal, a victim and a Detective. It is a very emotional and shocking subject which makes the book gripping from page one.

I am very excited to start reading this book and seeing how this author writes!

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment if you have ever read this book and what you thought of it)

Book Perceptions

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

I think those who do not read books often view them as hard work. I’m not saying that it isn’t time consuming but so is film and TV. I am under no illusion that reading is for everyone but I feel that books shouldn’t least be understood for what they are.

Detailed- I feel as though books are often much more detailed than films or TV programmes (depending on the genre) which often adds another dimension to a story.

Imagination- I know this is a typical one however it is true. Although you are often given a description of a character it’s up to you to to actually create that image. Some people are better than others at that and that’s ok but it’s personal to the person who is reading . On a screen this has already been done for you which may make you less invested in the characters.

Development- books are a good way to help develop your language and literacy skills. If you are reading new books and coming across new vocabulary then you are learning whilst reading.

Enjoyment– books are fun! They allow you to enter another world that is written but also lets you add your own spin on it by creating the scenes in your head.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment on your perception of reading )

My Ideal Book

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

I have certain aspects of a book that I enjoy to read however I don’t think I could create just one. I think that my ideal book would change as I read new genres and authors aswell. However no matter whaoartind characterisation a really vital part of any book.

In my opinion, characterisation can make or break a book. There needs to be well developed characters that are realistic to the story being written. If the characters aren’t believable then neither is the book. The only way that the story can take engaging twists and turns is by having good characters to go alongside that. I also think that realistic reactions to these events are important. I often feel as though, especially in crime books, those who have dealt with tough circumstances or are a victim of something can often just be ok. They can move on with their lives after it. This is something I don’t like. There would be some effect on the character and I commend authors that show that. Good example of this can be found in the light between world’s by Laura Weymouth and ‘no safe house’ by Linwood Barclay.

I also think that an exciting, fast paced story is often good as it keeps you enaged and wanting to read on. However I don’t think this is necessary needed if the book is written well. For example, in ‘call me by your name’ there isn’t really an exciting storyline with the typical twists and turns but it is one of my favorites because of how well it is written. It is almost like poetry.

The ending of a book is very important to get right. I think cliffhangers are good howver I always want the next book to be out so I can find out what happens. Ihave found in the past that when books have a big build up to the final events that they can go either one of two ways; exciting or disappointing. If there is a big build up to a slow or unrealistic ending then it could completely change your view on the book. I found this whilst reading ‘the lost witch’ by Melvin Burgess. To me it had a disappointing ending however I did still enjoy it.

An ideal book is personal to the reader. Those who like romantic books over crime are going to have a different picture of what there ideal book would be and I like that. My ideal book is ever changing but always has core factors;. characterisation and good ending.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment your ideal book or what core factors you love in a novel)

‘No Safe House’ by Linwood Barclay

~ Caitlin Marion Dermidy ~ Leave a comment

No Safe House by Linwood Barclay is a thriller and crime novel that is the sequel to No Time for Goodbye. This picks up 7 years after the previous book and follows the same characters, Terry, Cynthia,Grace and Vince who are dealing with the trauma of what happened all those years ago.

It follows Terry as he tries to keep his family together after that night 7 years ago. Cynthia is dealing with her personal demons and Grace is becoming a rebellious teen, both of which are driving the family apart. Whilst trying to keep the family together they stumble back into the world of Vince, the infamous gangster. When grace foolishly follows her boyfriend into a stranger’s house, Terry’s mission changes from keeping the family together to keeping the family alive.

I really enjoyed this book and felt as though I was kept on the edge of my seat. I think it is a realistic character development from book 1 and that it all related to the previous book. The beginning of the story was more focused on how the family are doing since the events of that nights but we soon are brought into the mysteries and events of current day. I liked how in this book we were given a chance to learn more about the who the characters are now and how that effects the events in the rest of the book and gave us something tangible to link to them.

The story has lots of twists and turns which keep you wondering what is going to happen next. The book is fast paced and exciting which I enjoyed as it made me read quicker as I kept to the pace of the book. More times than not I didn’t want to put the book down and just wanted to know how it all ended. It shows both the psychological and physical effects of the characters and how they are dealing with such a huge amount of emotions. We are also given an insight into how Vince and Jane are doing since the previous book and how they have changed since that night.

I think that considering that there are more than one main character Linwood Barclay balances the amount on information of each character well. I feel as though I know loads about each character and why they are the way they are which I was impressed with considering, in my opinion, there are 5.

Overall, I would recommend this book but I would definitely read the first book, No Time for goodbye, first. I would say that I preferred the story of this book more however it often links to the previous book which without reading could cause confusion.

Many thanks, Caitlin x

(PS please comment your opinion of these books or any other recommendations by Linwood Barclay)