Notes of Life

That is the question!

Amazon finally releases it’s all new Kindle in the UK on 27th August. There will be 2 versions – Kindle Wi-Fi (£109) and Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi (£149) – and I’m seriously tempted!

I love reading books and I’m a bit of a technology fan too, so the Kindle would be right up my street. Don’t get me wrong though… I could never give up my paperback and hardback books. An e-book is no substitute for a real book, but it would help slow the growing piles of books I have, that and it would satisfy my wish for a new toy.

Read more about the new Kindle here.

So who has a previous version of the Kindle? Or do you have another kind of e-reader? What are your thoughts on them?

If only somebody (*Hint – Amazon – Hint*) would send me one to review!

Author: Teresa Flavin
Publisher: Templar Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-84877-034-8

The Blackhope Enigma is an exciting adventure in which Sunni’s step-brother Dean finds himself accidentally transported into a curious Renaissance painting by Fausto Corvo which hangs in the Mariner’s Chamber in Blackhope Tower. Sunni and her friend Blaise set out to rescue him and they find themselves lost in a strange and dangerous world. They meet others along their journey, but just who should they trust? Can all three overcome the dangers and find their way out of the painting and home… alive?

I ordered The Blackhope Enigma having read a review by Bart’s Bookshelf and so I knew I was in for a treat!

The Blackhope Enigma is an adventure about friendship, family, art and magic. There’s twists and turns in the plot, bad guys and good guys, and mysteries. What more could you ask for?

This book is aimed at children aged 9 years plus and I passed that age group a long time ago… a long, long time ago! However, I believe these and young adult books to be some of the most brilliant stories. Books aimed at children, teenagers and young adults have to hold their attention span and to do that they have to be good! They have to be imaginative and carry the story well.

The author, Teresa Flavin, has a wonderful and creative mind. In The Blackhope Enigma she has created such a wonderful and imaginative world for her characters to live in and this is only her first novel!

I love the idea of being able to enter a painting and explore it’s world, to find yet more, a living world created behind that painting. Imagine being able to go inside a painting. Imagine there being more than just that top layer that you can see. Having read this book, I don’t think I’ll ever look at a painting the same way again!

Scattered among the pages are a number of illustrations (something the author does very well). They all add to the adventure.

All in all, this is definitely a good read. I enjoyed the mix of characters (Gutsy Sunni, annoying Dean, talented Blaise, among others) and the whole story just drew me in (sorry for the pun, I just couldn’t help it!). I found the story enchanting and captivating, and enjoyed it from start to finish and I’m sure I would have enjoyed it when I was at the age of its intended age group too.

I’d recommend reading The Blackhope Enigma no matter what your age is!

Download an excerpt of the book at The Blackhope Enigma official website, as well as other goodies.

Visit Teresa Flavin’s website and blog.

Buy The Blackhope Enigma at The Book Depository.

… and this time I’m not inbetween books!

Yesterday, I started reading The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin. I’d ordered it from The Book Depository after reading a review about it on Bart’s Bookshelf and it arrived while I was away in York last week. The Blackhope Enigma is a children’s book, say 9 years + to young adult, but I’m currently enjoying reading these kinds of books. Books for children, teens and young adults generally have to be a very good read. They need to be exciting and hold the attention of those whose attention often lies elsewhere. So, even if, like me, you’re way beyond the recommended age group for these kind of books, why not give them a try? You may be surprised!

I am currently up to page 153 in The Blackhope Enigma and I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s an exciting adventure about Sunni, her step-brother Dean and her friend Blaise. Dean accidently transports himself into Fausto Corvo’s Renaissance painting, so Sunni and Blaise set out to rescue him. They all find themselves lost in a world of labyrinths and monsters. Trying to get out of the painting isn’t going to be easy… Will they find their way home? I don’t know yet, but I’m enjoying finding out!

You can find out more about the book at The Blackhope Enigma official website. While there, you’ll also be able to read an excerpt of the book.

As I was in York last week, I didn’t really get much reading done (despite taking a book with me). So, the last book I read was If I Stay by Gayle Forman. I read it as part of the Transworld Summer Reading Challenge and found it an emotional read. I’m currently awaiting my next book for the challenge – 61 Hours by Lee Child.

The next book I’ll be reading? I’m not entirely sure… It all depends what turns up in the post by the time I’ve finished The Blackhope Enigma (which will be in the next couple of evenings). If 61 Hours turns up then I’ll be reading that next as it’s for the challenge. Otherwise, I’ve got so many books to read it’s getting difficult to choose!

Posted for It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? Why not join in?!

I’ve been away this past week and didn’t manage to get much reading done. However, I did manage to aquire a number of new books…

I left for York on Tuesday evening, but before leaving work I checked my email (knowing I’d be coming home to loads of email on Friday) and was pleasantly surprised. Why? Well, I discovered I’d won not one, but two books! The first book I won was The Breaking of the Shell by Barry Durdant-Hollamby, I won it via GoodReads.com and it’s arrived already. I was quite surprised, because it’s not that long ago since I won The Wings of Leo Spencer. The second book I won was Fallen by Lauren Kate – I won it in a giveaway over at Book Chick City (Thanks Carolyn!) and I’m waiting for that to arrive (Can’t wait!).

By my last day in York I hadn’t bought myself anything (I like to treat myself sometimes!), so I thought I’d buy myself a book. I know, I know… I’ve got plenty. Well, I went into Waterstones (somewhere I don’t usually buy books from, because if I’m going to pay full price for a book I’d rather pay full price at an independent book shop) and they’d got offers on… “Buy 1 Get 1 free” or “3 for 2″ on certain books. I ended up doing “Buy 1 Get 1 Free” and picked up Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce and Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. I’ve read plenty of reviews about both books on various blogs, which is why I chose those two (Can’t wait!).

Now, you would think I could leave York and not buy any more books. However, on the street between the hotel and the train station I ended going into a couple of book shops and I ended up coming out of one of those shops with The Penguin Book of Ghosts by Westwood & Simpson. The lady in the shop even wrapped it in some lovely green wrapping paper for me instead of putting it in a bag (I love touches like that!).

Then, I got home to find The Blackhope Enigma by Teresa Flavin waiting for me. I’d ordered it from The Book Depository after reading a wonderful review of it on a blog (Sorry, I can’t remember who’s!).

So, as you can tell, I’ve got a whole load of reading to be doing! And those are just the new ones, I’ve still got an ever-growing pile waiting to be read. If I disappear for a while, you know where I am!

Posted for In My Mailbox, hosted at The Story Siren.

An unusual creature to feature on my blog, I must admit! It reminds me a bit of a mushroom, but it’s some kind of jellyfish (obviously!). I’ve just come back from a few days in York (our annual “Mother & Daughter” trip”). We decided a spend a day in Scarborough (unfortunately, not the best of days weather-wise), so we used our Yorkshire Passes to visit the Sea Life & Marine Sanctuary there and this is where I found this wonderful creature, along with so many others (one or two of which might show up in future posts). There’s a number of Sea Life centres around the UK and I’d recommend a visit… where else can you see the weird and wonderful creatures of our oceans?!

Posted for Camera Critters. Why not join in?!