273. A Map of Days: The Fourth Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

BOOK REVIEW: A Map of Days - The Fourth Novel of Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Recently I have been reading plenty of fantasy books that have bent the norms and given me a tornado of thoughts. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children is one of those series that will leave you spellbound in no time. This fourth book in the installment is no different.

Having defeated the monstrous threat that nearly destroyed the peculiar world, Jacob Portman is back where his story began, in Florida. Except now Miss Peregrine, Emma and their peculiar friends are with him, and doing their best to blend in.

But carefree days of beach visits and normalling lessons are soon interrupted by a discovery - a subterranean bunker that belonged to Jacob's grandfather, Abe.

Clues to Abe's double life as a peculiar operative start to emerge, and Jacob begins to learn about the dangerous legacy he has inherited - truths that were part of him long before he walked into Miss Peregrine's time loop.

Now the stakes are higher than ever as Jacob and his friends are thrust into the untamed landscape of an American peculiardom - a world with a few ymbrynes, or rules - that none of them yet understand.

Their story is again illustrated throughout by haunting vintage photographs, but with a striking addition for this new adventure - full colour.

Wonderfully absorbing, I found this YA very much ahead of its generation. It's no wonder this series is such a sought-after addition to any reader's shelves. Keep reading and enjoy the wonderful world of fantasy and the escape it gives.

272. Horror! The Definitive Companion to the Most Terrifying Movies Ever Made by Kim Newman & James Marriott

BOOK REVIEW: Horror! The Definitive Companion to the Most Terrifying Movies Ever Made by Kim Newman & James Marriott

Where there's good, there's evil. Horror is a bittersweet genre for most. Some adore it while others loath the mere mention of the macabre. Personally I'm in love with all things horror since the first day I got a taste of fear. 

Horror is the most exciting genre in cinema and this book is just what you need to explore the best scary movies ever made. Written by celebrated horror critics and a team of expert writers, this book contains in-depth profiles of over 340 movies from a century of terrifying cinema.

All types of horror film are covered, from creepy black-and-white classics (Nosferatu and Psycho) and jump-out-of-your-skin blockbusters (The Exorcist and Hellraiser) to splatterfests and slashers (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Saw). 

Horror! also looks at lesser-known sub-genres and movies, including Asian horror, comic horror, fantasy and more.

This book contains everything you need for your next horror evening's entertainment, whether you are a serious movie buff who wants to explore the deepest caverns of scary celluloid depravity or someone who would like to know a little more about one of the world's oldest storytelling genres.

Critically acclaimed and illustrated throughout with over 250 photographs, this book is a definitive guide to the dark side of cinema. 

Switch of the lights and get ready for a horror movie marathon that's going to leave you groaning and shambling like the living dead!

271. The Land of Stories: An Author's Odyssey (Book 5) by Chris Colfer

BOOK REVIEW: The Land of Stories - An Author's Odyssey (Book 5) by Chris Colfer

If you ever thought fairy tales were meant for the tots, you will have to seriously rethink after reading this book. Familiar characters from beloved fairytales are given a fresh perspective with kick-ass attitudes and profiles you would never have imagined. 

Besides fairytales been given a spell of renewal, readers will be tossed into a world where stories on pages come alive, where characters conjured by the protagonists in this story on paper, come to life in a swashbuckling adventure like never before.

The Masked Man has captured all the royal families from the Land of Stories with the help of of his army of literature's greatest villains (think the Wicked Witch of the West, Captain Hook and the Queen of Hearts). 

Alex and Conner know they are no match against the Masked Man's legion of villains, but they realize they may be in possession of the greatest weapon of all: their imaginations!

So begins the twins' journey into Conner's very own stories to gather an army for the ultimate fight against the Masked Man. Meanwhile, an even more dangerous plan is brewing - one that could change the fates of the fairy-tale world and the Otherworld forever....

I totally fell in love with this book which I picked up in an MPH sale for its beautifully illustrated cover. The story within held an even more prominent beauty than the cover and had me captivated. It truly makes me want to devour the rest of the books in this series to relish the story within a story. 5 stars for this incredible author!

270. The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction by Neil Gaiman

BOOK REVIEW: The View from the Cheap Seats - Selected Nonfiction by Neil Gaiman

Neil Gaiman is a prolific writer and most of you would be acquainted to his bestselling book, Coraline. However, this book is not a novel set in a fantastical world or even in the slightest bit related to the imaginative. This evocative selection by the author is a glimpse through the what he holds dear to him.

This is a fascinating collection of nonfiction pieces on myriad topics which are probing, amusing and distinctive in style.

Analytical yet playful, erudite yet accessible, these essays explore a broad range of interests and topics, including (but not limited to): authors past and present; music; storytelling and so much more.

It is a motley bunch of speeches and articles, introductions and essays. Some of them are serious and some of them are frivolous and some of them are earnest and some of them he wrote to try and make people listen.

Illuminating and incisive, this book explores some of the issues, subjects and people that matter most to the author - and offers a unique glimpse into the mind of one of the most beloved and influential writers of our time.

This gem of a book truly made me feel as if I was looking through a keyhole at the wonders that lay just beyond reach in the mind and lives of writers. I was also able to grasp the concept of writing and pursuing our passion in the way that only we can do it. A wonderful read that I personally would give my fullest praises, do grab a copy and relish what's written within.

269. The Shining by Stephen King (MCO book #15)

BOOK REVIEW: The Shining by Stephen King

I am a huge fan of Stephen King since my teen years. Horror has been a huge part of my life, be it horror movies or scary stories. But Stephen King truly made me afraid of the dark with his macabre storytelling and unexpected twists where the darkest energies lurk around the corners. 

This book is not an exception and gave me a good fright. I even got the jitters when I saw my dress hanging from the door in the dark! What does the Master of Horror have in store for us this time?

Jack Torrance's new job at the Overlook Hotel is the perfect chance for a fresh start. As the off-season caretaker at the atmospheric old hotel, he'll have plenty of time to spend reconnecting with his family and working on his writing.

 But as the harsh winter weather sets in, the idyllic location feels even more remote...and more sinister. And the only one to notice the strange and terrible forces gathering around the Overlook is Danny Torrance, a uniquely gifted five-year-old. 

The morbid descriptions of blood, gore and pure supernatural scares will set your heart thumping out of your chest. The second book entitled 'Dr. Sleep' has been turned into a movie adaptation but I haven't watched it yet as book isn't read. What you waiting for? During this MCO, stay at home, turn off the lights and let's get scared out of our wits!

268. The Opium War by Brian Inglis (MCO book #14)

BOOK REVIEW: The Opium War by Brian Inglis

Thank god the MCO is going to end. But I guess the effects were not felt as strongly being surrounded by books and all. So let's delve into this book shall we?

Drugs are a malevolent force to contend with and generation after generation people have been trying to combat this ever-growing problem. Opiates aka opium are being used in the medical field. However, it has been misused time and againg by junkies. So how did all this start?

In 1839, trade was the stalwart of the British empire. When Britain sent troops to compel the Chinese to accept imports of opium, they opened one of the most disgraceful chapters in the history of the Empire. 

How did the situation arise? How did opium exports become so crucial to the British economy? How did the British come to be as addicted to opium revenue as the Chinese were?

Shocking but fascinating throughout, this book gives the answers to these and more in thia meticulously researched study. Its one of those hard reads where you have to be truly focused in order to soak in the facts. You won't be left dissapointed. Stay home, stay safe!

267. The Muse by Jessie Burton (MCO book #13)

BOOK REVIEW: The Muse by Jessie Burton

Great..the MCO has been extended till June..what better way to stave off the stay-at-home blues than to read an immersive book. By immersive I mean a bundle of energy that surpasses many of the novels I have read this year.

The saying a picture hides a thousand words has never been more true once you read this book written by bestselling author Jessie Burton. 

On a hot July day in 1967, Odelle Bastien climbs the stone steps of the Skelton gallery in London, ready for her luck to change. She has been employed as a typist by the glamorous and enigmatic Marjorie Quick, who unlocks a potential Odelle didn't realize she had.

When a lost masterpiece arrives at the gallery, Quick seems to know more than she is prepared to reveal and Odelle is determined to unravel the truth.

The painting's secret history lies in 1936 and a large house in rural Spain, where Olive Schloss, the daughter of a renowned art dealer, is harbouring ambitions of her own. 

Into this fragile paradise come two strangers, who overturn the Schloss family with explosive and devastating consequences.

A story set in warring Spain, it spins a world of love, romance, betrayal, trust and care as each character collides in two different times brought together by a single painting. The storyline was complex but certainly not confusing, with elements that leave you on the edge of a cliff. 

Highly recommended by myself for a read that combines all the nuances of a good novel. Stay home and stay safe to flatten the curve. Don't forget to read!