Arkie’s Pilgrimage to the Next Big Thing by Lisa Walker

January 31, 2015July 14, 2019 / Absidity Art / Leave a comment

Arkie’s Pilgrimage to the Next Big Thing by Lisa Walker

Publication Date: February 2, 2015

Pages: 352

Thank you to Net Gallery, Random House Australia & Bantam Australia for allowing me to read and review this ARC.

A delightfully funny and inspiring novel about a very modern pilgrimage, and one woman’s chance to rediscover what she’s lost.

‘I watch the highway go by and ponder my situation. I am on the run from my husband’s divorce lawyer, my mojo is still missing in action and my demon ex-lover is lurking . . . But, all things considered, my pilgrimage is going well . . .’

Arkie used to be a trendspotter, running a successful business advising companies on ‘the next big thing’. Until she lost her marriage and her mojo along with it.

Her eccentric new friend Haruko suggests a pilgrimage in Japan. But funds are tight, so instead Arkie’s going on a very Australian trip, to all the ‘Big Things’.

With Haruko as her guide, magic is everywhere. A Buddha appears next to the Big Redback, the Big Macadamia rises from the jungle like a lost temple and inside the Big Shell she can hear a tinkling voice, reminding her of the child she never had.

As her improbable adventure unfolds, realisation dawns: could it be that, despite her celebrated foresight, Arkie’s been missing what was right before her eyes?

The book opens and we find 41 year old Arkie Douglas (female) about to attempt to commit suicide on the one year anniversary of her husband leaving her, which also happens to be New Year’s. She decides that it’s all too much to bear and is going to throw herself in front of a train.

Enter a hip 20 year old Japanese holiday maker by the name of Haruko (female). They spend New Year’s together waiting for a train that doesn’t come, they later discover it stopped running ten years prior.

Arkie offers Haruko a Job after only knowing her for 36 hours, hoping she’ll help her get back into the trend spotting game. Arkie was a big shot trend predictor before her marriage fell apart and she feel to pieces.

That may all sound a bit far-fetched, but a found those initial chapters quite entertaining.

We go on to find out that Arkie’s ex-husbands name is Adam and her ex-lover’s name is Ben. This is where the story started to lose me as I couldn’t feel sorry for Arkie anymore.

If you ignore the infidelity and just look at it as being destroyed by heartbreak and rebuilding ones self, then there are bits and pieces in the story most of us can relate to.

I quite enjoyed reading about the pilgrimage and the big bad lawyer being after Arkie. I didn’t mind reading about Arkie reminiscing about Adam, I liked Adam. The reminiscing about Ben annoyed me, probably because I thought Ben was an Oily Snake and he did prove he was just that when he went on and became a politician.

The water child weirded me out at first, mainly the name. I think if she’d been named Prue or Alison for example I probably wouldn’t have minded Arkie talking to the imaginary child she never got to have. The name “water child” makes me think of some demonic little girl trapped down a well in a Steven King novel. But once the deeper meaning of the Water Child was reviled, I felt guilty at finding her weird and ached at Arkie’s stupidity and loss.

The ending was a little anti-climactic. Yes she gets back with her husband, but I would have loved in the epilogue to see her with the child she so desired, be it as a foster mother or whatever.

If you enjoyed reading Eat Pray Love, then you’ll love this book (with added Aussie bonus). I give it 3.5 stars, it loses half a star as the ending didn’t satisfy me.

See lady’s we don’t need to go to Italy or an Ashram in India to find ourselves, after a mid-life crises we can get lost in ourselves and a simpler time enjoying Australia’s Big Things.

I’m going to go see the big Scotsman next time I’m in Adelaide, just to say I’ve been to the original.

Author’s Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/lisawalkerhome

Author’s Twitter – https://twitter.com/lisawalkertweet

Author’s website – http://www.lisawalker.com.au/

Publisher’s Website – http://www.randomhouse.com.au/books/lisa-walker/arkies-pilgrimage-to-the-next-big-thing-9780857984401.aspx

Arcane (The Arinthian Line, #1) by Sever Bronny

January 13, 2015July 14, 2019 / Absidity Art / 2 Comments

Warlocks before their time …

Fourteen-year-old Augum and friends Bridget and Leera dream of becoming warlocks. But with a kingdom in total chaos, it will take courage, sacrifice, and an iron will to make that dream come true.

The Lord of the Legion, a vicious tyrant, has overthrown the king in a relentless and murderous quest for seven mythic artifacts–and Augum’s mentor, the legendary Anna Atticus Stone, possesses one. While Augum struggles with demons from a painful childhood, a betrayal puts him, his friends, and his mentor through a harrowing ordeal that threatens to destroy them all … and change the course of history.

Arcane, the debut novel in the fantasy adventure series The Arinthian Line, follows three friends as they navigate an ancient abandoned castle, endure grueling training, challenge old mysteries, and learn that a bond forged in tragedy might just be the only thing to save them from a ruthless enemy.

I received a copy of this book from the author, through the Goodreads Group “YA Lovers” in exchange for and honest review. So first, I am going to say Thank you!

Augum; I really liked him. He had it tough as an abused orphan slave boy, until he ended up in the care of Sir Tobias Westwood. Westwood taught Augum to read, hunt, etc. and it is thanks in large part to Westwood that Augum survives to end up with Mrs Stone. Augum has spent all of his life ridiculed and beat up on for being a gutter born orphan and it is beautiful to see that turn around for him as he finds true friendship.

Mrs. Stone; the awesome elderly super powerful bad arse Mrs. Stone. I loved her. Go Grandma, Go, Go. I think it is probably the mother in me that loved her as the hero / saviour in this novel so much (I would be interested to see a teenage boy’s response to her character)

Bridget & Leera; Augum’s back up besties. I quite liked the girls and think that they balanced Augum out nicely. Leera got to kick some butt in the book alongside Augum and I hope that in the future books they get their chance to shine independently.

Prince Sydo; I have to mention him as, Sydo is nasty spoiled foul mouthed brat and I hated him. I think you are meant to hate him, but I found him really disrupting my enjoyment of the story at times. I hope he wakes up to himself in the next book.

The story follows 14-year-old Augum. I found the story a bit hard to get into at first and some of the chapters lagging early on and towards the middle as we are getting crammed with background information. There are some cool plot twist along the way and we get a new style of magic with the Arcane discipline. Once I got into the vibe of the book and stomached all the world building, I really started to enjoy the story, but I cannot really say too much about the story without giving all the twists away.

So I will just say the Last 20% of the book was a fantastical rush. The end of the book is an exciting frantic flurry of action, with a brilliant ending, bring on the next instalment Mr Bronny.

I am going to knock this up as number one for my Debut author challenge; it is Mr Bronny’s first book and was published last year. I was intending to purchase any of the books I read for the debut author challenge and I was given this one, but I think as I am going to buy the next book Riven (The Arinthian Line, #2) due out in February that it counts.

The Griever’s Mark by Katherine Hurley

January 2, 2015July 14, 2019 / Absidity Art / Leave a comment

Astarti would bet her life on one thing: she will never escape her master Belos.

After Belos found her as an abandoned infant, he planted within her a Leash, which he uses to control her power. Astarti is a Drifter, able to manipulate the energy world of the Drift–to shape weapons, to bind others, to travel great distances in mere seconds. Astarti’s job is to strike deals with desperate souls who would Leash themselves to Belos for political or personal gain. Her other objective is to kill any Earthmaker–those who wield the power of the elements–whenever possible.

But when Astarti lets one handsome Earthmaker escape, she sets into motion a chain of events that will lead her to question everything she knows about herself and her power. Even her Griever’s Mark tattoo, the symbol of her mother’s abandonment, may not mean what Astarti has always been told.

I received a copy of this book from the author, through the Goodreads Group “YA Lovers” in exchange for and honest review. So first up I’m going to say Thank you!

The more I like a book a book the harder I find it to say anything about it without gushing like a school girl high on sugar holding hands with her crush for the first time. So I will try to contain myself.

I dived into the world that Ms Hurley created and was in love. She gives as an immensely rich world with forbidden love (My favourite kind of love) earth magic (my favourite kind of magic) evil twisted bad guys, treason, turf wars and a heroine with a dark and mysterious past. Yes please, give me more! I can’t say too much about Astarti, her mother, The Drift, Logan or Earth Magic without giving away the big plot points of the story.

As this is the first book in a series there is a lot of world building and background information given to us, but Ms Hurley makes it all flow beautiful into a enthralling story. In this book we met Astarti and through her adventures we learn all about her life and discover her secret family history with her. We also get to meet Logan the delicious earth maker as she does. We learn a little about Logan and his world in this book, but at the end of the book we are left with questions of his heritage and what his fate will be. So yes we are left with a cliff hanger; the ending brings a whole load more to be answered in the next book and plenty more adventures for Astarti to tackle.

I am looking forward to reading the next instalment. Five Stars.

The Hunter’s Companion (Familiars #1) by Lori Powell

December 27, 2014July 14, 2019 / Absidity Art / Leave a comment

Witches and hunters. Blood and magic. Heartache and lust. Will history repeat itself?

Lora Smith’s life changes forever one day deep in the English fens. Caught up in the Witch trials of 1645, her life ends tragically early, yet her legacy lives on.

Regan White is a 21st century Brighton girl who loves to shop, party, and shop some more. Forced to relocate to her aunt’s crumbling old house in the fenland of West Norfolk, away from everything she’s ever known, Regan’s life takes a mysterious twist.

A box of old diaries tell of strange happenings, striking a chord with Regan’s own recent unnerving experience in the lingering fog of the fens and drawing her deeper into the mystery. Destiny is a big word but it seems that Regan’s is irrevocably entwined in this bewitching landscape.

How do the diaries, her band of new friends, and the captivating American Nate Hunter, all tie together? Will Regan find the link before it is too late, or will she share Lora’s fate?

I received a copy of this book from the author, through the Goodreads Group “YA Lovers” in exchange for and honest review. So first up I’m going to say Thank you!

Straight up the book was filled with full on imagery. I really really wanted to like this book as the first half of it was brilliant. I loved Ms Powell’s take on Witches Familiars. I was fascinated learning about them as the main characters did.

The chapters alternate between Lora in 1645 and Regan in 2013, I came to care for both of female protagonists. The switch between times is done quite well and Ms Powell manages to capture both time periods beautifully.

The Regan character really grows throughout the first half of the book. We see Regan going from silly seventeen party girl to eighteen, adult with responsibilities and evil creatures to fight, which creates all sorts of drama. With Regan discovering some old family heirloom diary’s in the attic, we finally find out the connection between Lora and Regan (with help from the mysterious and delicious Nate).

We get a lot of information given to us in the book as it is the start of a series. The first half of the book is faced paced and fascinating, but after about the 60% mark it starts to get bogged down. The ending however picks back up and leads to a perfect opening for the next book.

I think that the next book will out do this one, as thanks to the first book we won’t need all the background info and it can all be action.

I did come across a few grammar and formatting issues in my copy while trying to read it, I know some people like to nit-pick at this, but I found it in no way detracted from the story, I’m just warning the picky people out there.

There were a few things later in the book that irked me; language I didn’t feel fit the characters (it just felt wrong) and the unnecessarily dragged out Regan / Nate love or not business. I breathed a sigh of relief when I’d finished reading it, as at around the 70-90% mark I was getting rather stressed out at how drawn out everything was becoming and I just wanted to know how it was going to end.

So to sum it up first half of the book was awesome, but up until the last few chapters is was rather Meh, but it definitely redeemed it’s self in those last chapters.

For Better or for Worse by @IngridNickelsen

December 6, 2014July 14, 2019 / Absidity Art / 4 Comments

When one story ends, another begins.

Evangeline lived a long fulfilling life. Loving mother and wife, she had everything she could wish for…until a tragic car accident took it all away from her.

Awakening in a new world with the body of a young woman, Evangeline doesn’t remember anything about her life, not even her own name. Luckily she has godparents to help guide her in this new society of the dead. As she struggles to fit in, deep inside, she can sense something is missing, a part of her that she can’t recall. When a mysterious man claims he can help get her memory back if she agrees to keep their nocturnal meetings a secret, she can’t refuse. Everything about him screams trouble, but she can’t seem to stay away. Every moment spent with him makes her feel alive again.

Is she really prepared to unveil her past completely, from beginning to end? Everything is not as it seems in her new found home, and her new life may also end in tragedy.

Rest in fear, Evangeline.

The story follows Eve (Evangeline) through her death and subsequent kind of life.

It starts off with an emotional scene between a teenage Eve and her boyfriend. We see Eve in her “safe Place” with the Boy she loves. It then changes and we realise that it was a flash back dream and 73 year old current Eve had fallen asleep on the couch reading an old diary. The first chapter went on to add the characters of her husband and daughter. Within the first chapter I already liked Eve and cared about her. And then she dies in a car accident – but I knew that was coming sooner or later anyway.

Things get a little bazar after that, Eve can’t remember who she is, she’s in this strange new world, thinking it’s some sort of heaven. She guesses by her appearance she is about 18-19 years. She goes on to find out she’s been given a Godmother named Brielle.

Enter Will with his “dark and sinful beauty” – right away he sounds like my kind of fella. But I must have trust issues as I was immediately looking out for a bad guy in this book. I could say that the bad guys were the Midnight Hunters, but it’s really much more complicated than that.

I was really struggling, with this very bazar and trippy world for a while, Eve’s confused, so I’m confused – I feel her frustration etc. The frustration did push me to keep reading, as I wanted Eve to figure out what the heck was going on.

Eve then goes on a candle induced drug trip. She gets a glimpse of her husband at the age that he died and her daughter as a baby. Some might find it rather ludicrous, but it was needed to get the story going as the trip gave Eve the desire to find out if she in fact wasn’t alone when she died.

Now the story really starts to pick up pace as we find out danger is all around and nothing is as it seems. We learn that this strange world isn’t the afterlife but really a journey in-between. We find out Will is a wanderer being hunted by the midnight hunters. We find out about Brielle having a tainted past and get a closer look at some of the other background characters.

Eve learns Will looked for her, the first clue we get into deeper Will. Eve gets the chance to see a bigger part of the in-between world she’s ended up in and it’s not nice! And after looking like all her attempts at finding the man she died with, the man who we as the reader know is her 73 year old husband Josh, She meets him, be it a teenage version.

Than Bam we get heavy scene with Eve finally remembering something (A big chunk of something) and we are sent back to the first scene in the book. I can’t say much more about this or I’ll give the big dramatic ending away. All I will say is the the last three chapters in the book are intense. So full of emotions it makes up for any lows in the book. It made up for any moments when I went, what the!

So don’t be put off by afterlife’s and godmothers (which are more like guides), the Characters, the suspense & mystery and most of all, the love are worth it. Love shines out of this book.

(This bit won’t make sense unless you’ve read the book) I finished reading it and immediately had an argument with myself. My Mummy Brain was angry saying, if Eve had regained all her memory surely she would have stayed at the ceremony. But then the romantic soul trapped inside of me said, don’t be stupid you can’t give up a second change and then I decided that yes, I would have made the same choice as Eve, restored memory or not!

Also the Epilogue seems to be setting up for a sequel that I’d very much like to read 🙂

An absolutely fabulous debut novel from Ms Nickelsen.

Today is your birthday

November 11, 2014July 14, 2019 / Absidity Art / Leave a comment

Today is your birthday
And I hope you’re doing well
I contemplate sending you a message
But quickly realise it won’t reach you in your personal hell

Is it you that’s stuck
Or is it me that dwells
In a place of memories
And secrets not to tell

My knight in shining armour
You could never be
A drug to keep you high forever
Well that was never me

Will you always be with me
In that condemned place
Or as time consumes me
Will I forget it and your beautiful face

Today is your birthday
And I truly hope you are doing well
I wish for you a light to show you a path
Out of your personal hell

I call mine Lancy

November 10, 2014 / Absidity Art / 1 Comment

Do you have a name for your car? I call mine Lancy. Lancy is the perfect mummies car, she has a nice compact exterior for easy parking, but she’s roomy inside with a lovely large wagon back end, plenty of room for baby, pram, food shopping etc. I’ve owned Lancy, a Mitsubishi Lancer Wagon for over a year now and it was only the other day when I was driving into Newcastle that I decided she needed her own name. I was willing her to overtake a truck up a hill – my inner monologue was something along the lines of: “Come on get up the hill, come on Betsy you can do it, hmm I can’t call her Betsy, umm Lancer, Lance, no not lance it’s a she, Lancy? Yeah that’ll do, Come on Lancy you can do it”. She totally over took the truck, redlining it. All my Cars have had names, hence why I thought Lancy deserved her own. Lancy Love

My first car was a little Ford Laser hatchback which my father gave me when I got my licence. My friends and I named Her Noah because she was filled with all sorts of stuffed animals, in my head Noah was female just super cool with a male name. Noah used to spend her time: going on late night drives to Gosford, playing music too loud, speeding around corners too fast, rubbing her belly on dirt roads and fire trails and playing chicken with guard rails up at Mt Sugarloaf. Noah only had a little engine, but before I got her she was in good nick, she had a light little body and was quite nimble. I think about Noah often and hope she’s loved wherever she is now.

I sold Noah to buy a Suzuki Vitara 4WD wagon, something a bit more capable on the dirt roads of the Watagan Mountains that I’d come to love driving. I don’t quite remember naming the Suzuki, but she became Betsy in the end. “Come on Betsy, you can do it, you can do it” Betsy’s little clapped out 1.6 engine didn’t like to move much. Once she got wound up a roundabout or corner would always come along and I’d been screaming “f*#k hold on Betsy, please Betsy” as the rear tyres squealed and bounced sideways. Betsy spent her time: on the beach, playing music too loud, bouncing around the Riffle Range, running over gutters and freaking out people in car parks (she used to pull up and smoke would rise from under her bonnet as she had messy leaks that required extra oil and water to be carried at all times). I sold Betsy when she became unused as I was walking to work and had my husband’s Patrol to drive. Betsy went to a young fella who loved her, but crashed her, she’s a cube now.

Bombodore, the Holden VT Commodore sedan. F*#k me I loved this car. I used to drive it around whenever my parents would go away – because driving a Commodore was way cooler than driving my laser, especially to go lapping in town. My mother owned her for ten years, and then I owned her for another four. She was Me. She was Family. She was Heavy, Noisy, Oily, Big, Boisterous and Beautiful. I have fond memories of riding in her as a child, found memories of freaking out my dad when he took for a driving lesson in her and found memories of the first time I drove her around in a circle in the dirt. The Bombodore spent her time: chewing up tyres and fuel, going around in circles in the dirt, playing music too loud and driving around aimlessly smelling like tobacco. She’s a cube now, I ran her into the ground and she enjoyed every minute of it, as did I. I will always love her.

There was also a point in time where I road my dad’s Honda 110 Postie Bike around, I crashed it twice and then went and bought a Honda 125 Scooter, I then fell pregnant and sold the scooter.

Anyway back to Lancy. Lancy spends her time: taking my son to swimming lessons and doing the food shopping. Umm yeah, Lancy hasn’t met a dirt road and she hasn’t had a sub-woofer and aftermarket speakers fitted – Yet – I’ve promised her there will be a time when she gets to enjoy playing music too loud and driving around aimlessly, once my sons older.

I feel that each car I’ve owned has matched the point I was at in my life. Maybe it’s that our cars are an extension of ourselves – Would you agree?

Jump Girl by Leigh Hutton

October 12, 2014July 14, 2019 / Absidity Art / Leave a comment

Goodreads Synopsis:

Book two of The Go Girls Chronicles is coming November 22nd, 2014!

JUMP GIRL is set in the thrilling and glamorous scene of international show jumping and tells the gripping story of foster teenager, Ebony Scott Harris, and her struggle to prove the truth about her adoptive mother’s death, save her horses and jump for gold at the World Equestrian Games.

It’s an exciting blockbuster story for readers of all ages (10+) craving action, mystery, global travel, romance and friendship (both human and equine), including some of your favourite characters from REV GIRL . . .

My thoughts:

Jump Girl the second instalment of the GO Girl Chronicles gives as a look into the fierce yet glamorous world that is Show Jumping with a backdrop of some of Canada’s most beautiful terrain, as well as; Love & Romance, Action & Adventure, Murder & Mystery, Redemption & Self Discovery, all woven together beautifully in this fast paced coming of age novel.

I have been lucky enough to read Jump Girl before its release and let me say it is brilliant. Awesome job Leigh. It made me yearn to have a Monster or Gallant of my own. I immediately fell for Ebony. Her life felt so real and I was drawn into it heart first. I could not put the book down. I practically read it in one sitting. I was so pleased to see Dallas Cash again (Dallas was a major part of Clover’s journey in the first Go Girls book Rev Girl) It was heart-warming to see him turning into the man I always knew he could be.

I cannot really say much more than that without giving too much away. You should head on over to Goodreads and add Jump Girl or to Leigh’s website and pre-order yourself a copy you won’t be sorry (details below).

The Go Girls Chronicles

An exciting new blockbuster series for the reader craving action, adventure and romance, these empowering coming of age novels will entertain, inspire and tug at the heartstrings. Stories are set among the worlds of horse show jumping, motocross, surfing, racing cars, snowboarding, skateboarding, BMX, rodeo riding and more . . .

REV GIRL, OUT NOW!

JUMP GIRL, November 22nd (in time for Christmas) 2014!

REV GIRL and the Land of Oz (REV GIRL sequel), coming mid-2015!

SURF GIRL, coming 2016!

WEBSITE: www.leighhuttonbooks.com

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/LeighHutton

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/revgirlbook & https://www.facebook.com/jumpgirlbook

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/26534505-leigh-hutton

My Sanctuary

August 23, 2014 / Absidity Art / Leave a comment

Finally we’ve done it, we’ve bought our own home.

The first time a saw the for sale sign I got tears in my eyes, I really did and do feel like the weight of the world has been lifted off of my shoulders.

The last couple of weeks have been the most stressful of my life, most of you will know how stressful buying your first home can be. I was on my way to raid my Dads seaweed cracker box, when I Spotted a for sale sign out the front of a house just up from my Parents house. We hadn’t actually been planning to look at buying our own home until we came back from our outback 4wd adventure we have planned for next year, but when I spotted this house in the same street I grew up in, just up the street from my Parents place, my heart started doing all sorts of flips and I started dreaming about how wonderful it would be for my son to grow up in the same beautiful street where I did. I started having day dreams of Riley (a few years from now) walking down to Grandma and Grandad’s to raid the cookie jar (or seaweed crackers) and then returning home with Sassy in tow (Sassy is my parents dog).

Then the reality of buying a house set in and I started to freak. I was riddled with anxiety and was getting to the point of just saying no, lets forget about it, it’s too hard. Fear of the unknown has become a real problem with me since I became a mother, I don’t have the same to hell with the consequences, run flat out blindfolded attitude I used to.

But It’s going to be ours. I grew up at number 3 and will grow old at number 9. Since the loan was approved and the deposit was put down, all my unease and fear has gone away. After too many years of renting, living in no one’s home, I will have my own and I will be able to set my soul free. I will be able to fill this house with love for my son and make it my sanctuary.

Riley and Me

July 19, 2014 / Absidity Art / Leave a comment

Motherhood: The hardest yet most rewarding job ever!

Twelve months on and this little man keeps making me happier than I’ve ever been and more in love with him (even when he is chucking a tantrum like he is now while i’m trying to write this).