SUNDAYS SEVEN | 7 OF MY FAVOURITE QUOTES OR MOMENTS IN THE LORD OF THE RINGS MOVIES…

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Good afternoon book folk and happy Sunday!

As some of you may know from my recent Twitter activity I have been rewatching the Lord of the Rings movies and enjoying them sooo much! So, today my post is veering away from the traditional idea of seven books for seven days of the week but I don’t care.

My blog, my rules!

There is no order to these seven, they are just the ones that came to mind while posting, and no doubt I will love any you say too because these films are EPIC! Some will be fan favourites and others you might be like righttt, that ain’t all that!

The Lord of the Rings movies are iconic and I will always be grateful for them for various reasons, some being the resurgence of fantasy as a genre and the fact that they have been the gateway film for many fantasy readers!

Here are seven of my favourite quotes and moments from the movies…

IF BY MY LIFE OR DEATH I CAN PROTECT YOU, I WILL. YOU HAVE MY SWORD. AND YOU HAVE MY BOW. AND MY AXE.

This scene always makes me squirm with excitement! It is such an heartening moment, none who attended the council meeting stood to accept the burden of the ring for their own reasons, but when Frodo does they all offer their support. Each steps up, representing their race and accepting their piece of responsibility in this war and it is the start of something great.

WHEN PIPPIN AND MERRY REALISE FRODO IS GOING TO LEAVE…

I ADORE this scene, there is just something about it that has such an impact for me. It is the moment that Pippin and Merry see Frodo and realise he is leaving and give him his distraction. They charge to the forefront and steal the attention so he can flee. They don’t question it or a beg him to change his mind. They know. The two see it on Frodo’s face, and despite not understanding it they make the decision in that moment to help. It is so selfless and it guts me every time!

And so begins the breaking of the fellowship…

I would cut off your head, Dwarf, if it stood but a little higher from the ground. You would die before your stroke fell.

I think what I love about this moment is that it is the moment Legolas and Gimli’s relationship has a significant change, in my opinion. The two start off hating each other ,based pff the history os heir races, and yet throughout their journey a friendship blooms and it endures. They are loyal and it is in this moment that you see Legolas will, against pretty shitty odds, defend Gimli and even die for him!

THERE’S SOME GOOD IN THIS WORLD, MR. FRODO…AND IT’S WORTH FIGHTING FOR.

FULL MONOLOGUE:

“It’s like in the great stories Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were, and sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something“

Sam is the real hero of this duo!

Gosh, in this moment Sam not only changes the heart of Faramir, but you even see Gollum listening! It is such a gut-wrenching moment. Sam who just wanted to see the elves, is the linchpin that holds Frodo together and when he can’t hold it any longer keeps carrying Frodo.

What makes this moment even more spectacular is that it was added to the movies, through much research of the books Jackson came up with Sam’s words.

SHALL I DESCRIBE IT TO YOU? OR WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO FIND YOU A BOX?

If this isn’t a fan favourite then I really don’t know what is!

Gimli and Legolas again feature because they have one of the best bromances ever! Gimli is hilarious with his one liners and moment of absolute humour but Legolas, when he isn’t just stating the obvious (A DIVERSION), holds his own in the humour department.

I AM NO MAN.

I have to stand up for the lades, right! Eowyn can be pretty annoying someitmes but she has her moment, and what a moment! And what is even more epic is the fact that this line is right from the bloody books!

MY FRIENDS. YOU BOW TO NO ONE.

David, this one is for you my friend!

Aragorn is at no point during the movies arrogant, he never sees himself as more and never underestimates those around him. So, when Merry, pippin, Sam and Frodo bow to him and he begs them stand, it is so humbling. He knows their worth, and what they have done!

Honourable Mentions…

“THE BATTLE OF HELM’S DEEP IS OVER: THE BATTLE OF MIDDLE EARTH IS ABOUT TO BEGIN.”

“A day may come when the courage of men fails… but it is not THIS day.”

“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.”

“PO-TAY-TOES! BOIL ‘EM, MASH ‘EM, STICK ‘EM IN A STEW.”

“SO IT BEGINS.”

“FRODO WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN FAR WITHOUT SAM.”

“I can’t carry it for you, but I can carry you.” 

“MY PRECIOUS.”

Ok, I’m going to stop because I could do this ALL DAY! I really could, so see you later folks!

SUNDAYS SEVEN | 7 AUDIOBOOKS FOR PEOPLE WHO STRUGGLE WITH AUDIOBOOKS…

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Happy Sunday Bookish Folk!

**Please note the titles with links attached to them are simply the Goodreads Page. I thought id make it easier for you all…in case you want to check them out.**

Today’s post is, as the title suggest one about audiobooks…

I personally find it really hard to listen to audiobooks, and its not for a lack of concentration or anything like that, I have just struggled to find narrators that work for me. They can be too robotic, have a vastly different interpretation to the book than me or are just irritating.

But then, I saw a tiny slither of light in the perpetually dark tunnel of audiobooks! I found a narrator the works for me…

I was recently accepted through NetGalley for the audiobook book of ‘The Doors of Eden‘ written by Adrian Tchaikovsky and narrated by Sophie Aldred. I thought ‘ahh, it’s free through NetGalley if I don’t like it I’ve made no loss‘ because lets be honest some audiobooks are expensive.

I downloaded the audiobook and was super happy to find I quite liked the narrator. I have since listened to around 85% of the audiobook with no issues and I hope to finish it really soon.

Since then I have mooched around Audible looking for others I can enjoy but I still struggled…until I didn’t.

For one, Andy Serkis narrated The Hobbit so that was an instant buy fo me! Then, I searched Audible for all of the books on My Immediate TBR and I have found some absolute GEMS!

So, here are 7 audiobooks I have found that I think I can thoroughly enjoy, and I hope if you struggle to, you might like some of these…

**I have linked the Amazon links to these so you can go have a quick listen to the Samples and see if they tickle your fancy, they aren’t affiliate links***

ANDY SERKIS NARRATING THE HOBBIT BY J. R. R. TOLKIEN

CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE ON AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

PRENTICE ONAYEMI NARRATING THE RAGE OF DRAGONS BY Evan Winter

CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE ON AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

ADAM GOLD NARRATING VOICE OF WAR BY ZACK ARGYLE

CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE ON AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

HELEN DUFF NARRATING THE GIRLS AND THE STARS BY MARK LAWRENCE

CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE ON AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

**Helen Duff also narrated Lawrence’s Red Sister**

MOIRA QUIRK NARRATING GIDEON THE NINTH BY TAMSYN MUIR

CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE ON AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

Moira has also narrated The Bone House and Pierce Brown’s Dark Age though that is not a solo narration but a group cast.

STEVEN PACEY NARRATING THE BLADE ITSELF BY JOE ABERCROMBIE

CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE ON AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

SOPHIE ALDRED NARRATING SKYWARD BY Brandon Sanderson

CHECK OUT THE SAMPLE ON AMAZON.CO.UK | AMAZON.COM

There you have it, seven books that I have found with great narrators! If you struggler as I do then I hope just one of these might take you fancy! Thanks for reading.

SUNDAYS SEVEN | 7 FANTASY BOOKS TO READ IN THE SPOOKY SEASON…

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Happy Sunday Book Folk!

I hope you have all had a good weekend! I have been working all weekend, as per usual! But I still got time in to do some reading so it’s not all bad.

I thought for this Sundays Seven I would go festive, in anticipation for the spooky holidays I have opted for 7 fantasy books to read if you don’t read horror. Thus, I have searched through Goodreads for some books that will satisfy your Halloween needs.

As I read fantasy mostly and have never read a single horror book, I wanted something that had elements of halloween but weren’t too heavy on the horror. I scoured the vast lands of Goodreads, the many lists users have created and then finally those that made the shortlist I checked out the reviews of some trusted reviewers and friends.

Ohh, I lied! I have read a horror, kind of, I have read half of Mexican Gothic. I stand corrected.

These books have witches, necromancy, ghosts, graveyards and more but still remain (according to Goodreads) firmly in the fantasy category!

So, without further ado and after much research here they are…

The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson

A young woman living in a rigid, puritanical society discovers dark powers within herself in this stunning, feminist fantasy debut.

In the lands of Bethel, where the Prophet’s word is law, Immanuelle Moore’s very existence is blasphemy. Her mother’s union with an outsider of a different race cast her once-proud family into disgrace, so Immanuelle does her best to worship the Father, follow Holy Protocol, and lead a life of submission, devotion, and absolute conformity, like all the other women in the settlement.

But a mishap lures her into the forbidden Darkwood surrounding Bethel, where the first prophet once chased and killed four powerful witches. Their spirits are still lurking there, and they bestow a gift on Immanuelle: the journal of her dead mother, who Immanuelle is shocked to learn once sought sanctuary in the wood.

Fascinated by the secrets in the diary, Immanuelle finds herself struggling to understand how her mother could have consorted with the witches. But when she begins to learn grim truths about the Church and its history, she realizes the true threat to Bethel is its own darkness. And she starts to understand that if Bethel is to change, it must begin with her.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a perfectly normal boy. Well, he would be perfectly normal if he didn’t live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts, with a solitary guardian who belongs to neither the world of the living nor the world of the dead.

There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard: the strange and terrible menace of the Sleer; a gravestone entrance to a desert that leads to the city of ghouls; friendship with a witch, and so much more.

But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks, for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod’s family.

A deliciously dark masterwork by bestselling author Neil Gaiman, with illustrations by award-winning Dave McKean.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco

In the captivating start to a new, darkly lyrical fantasy series, Tea can raise the dead, but resurrection comes at a price.When Tea accidentally resurrects her brother from the dead, she learns she is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy means that she’s a bone witch, a title that makes her feared and ostracized by her community. But Tea finds solace and guidance with an older, wiser bone witch, who takes Tea and her brother to another land for training.In her new home, Tea puts all her energy into becoming an asha-one who can wield elemental magic. But dark forces are approaching quickly, and in the face of danger, Tea will have to overcome her obstacles and make a powerful choice.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Aching God by Mike Shel 

“Closer, mortal. You are here, finally, to feed the Aching God…”

The days of adventure are passed for Auric Manteo. Retired to the countryside with his scars and riches, he no longer delves into forbidden ruins seeking dark wisdom and treasure. That is, until old nightmares begin plaguing his sleep, heralding an urgent summons back to that old life.

To save his only daughter, Auric must return to the place of his greatest trauma: the haunted Barrowlands. With only a few inexperienced companions and an old soldier, he must confront the dangers of the ancient and wicked Djao civilization. Auric has survived fell beasts, insidious traps, and deadly hazards before. But can he contend with the malice of a bloodthirsty living god?

First book in the Iconoclasts trilogy, Aching God is the debut novel of RPG adventure designer Mike Shel. He is working on book 2, Sin Eater. The first two chapters of Sin Eater are included at the end of Aching God.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Perdido Street Station by China Miéville 

Beneath the towering bleached ribs of a dead, ancient beast lies the city of New Crobuzon, where the unsavory deal is stranger to no one–not even to Isaac, a gifted and eccentric scientist who has spent a lifetime quietly carrying out his unique research. But when a half-bird, half-human creature known as the Garuda comes to him from afar, Isaac is faced with challenges he has never before encountered. Though the Garuda’s request is scientifically daunting, Isaac is sparked by his own curiosity and an uncanny reverence for this curious stranger. Soon an eerie metamorphosis will occur that will permeate every fiber of New Crobuzon–and not even the Ambassador of Hell will challenge the malignant terror it evokes

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

MIDDLEGAME by SEANAN MCGUIRE

Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

Thank you again for visiting my blog and taking the time to read.

7 BOOKS THAT SHOULD BE MADE INTO MOVIES OR TV SHOWS…

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Mmmmmm, books to movies.

Books to movies has a fairly split fanbase, some people love them and some people hate them! I guess I sit in the middle I am all for books to movies or TV shows so long as it is done well and has the deserved budget to make it what I can be.

I think in some cases to it gives the books more exposure, a bump in sales and praise from a far wider audience. I for one can name at least five people who have watched Game of Thrones, loved it and then bough the books. From that they have then proceeded to look into other fantasy books and thus started reading when they hadn’t previously. I can probably name a handful of folks I know too who once read, slowly stopped and from watching a book to movie adaption started reading again!

I can almost guarantee that someone will disagree with a few in this list, maybe all of them, because some people can’t help but watch a book to movie adaption and just hate it. But for me these are seven books I would like to be adapted into either a TV Show or a Movie!

THE FAITHFUL AND THE FALLEN BY JOHN GWYNNE

Obviously this was going to be in this list. I love this book, if this was made into a TV show I think my book existence would be complete. Give it the budget it deserves and I’m more than comfortable saying this would be better than the early seasons of Game of Thrones.

CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber

Now, this is a film that could be so visually stunning while still keeping a fun and magical element through the mystery of the game. With the tools and talents of movie makers now this film could be utterly spectacular.

The Farseer Trilogy BY Robin Hobb

Now, I am only a book and a half into this trilogy but I can already see how this trilogy would make a brilliant TV series. I mean come on…a royal bastard training as an assassin in lands plagued by raiding red ships. Throw in the political intrigue and the country folk being turned into mindless husks and you have an action packed, witty and incredibly tense show! Thats to even accounting for the amazing characters and their relationships!

Graceling BY Kristin Cashore

This book falls into the Young Adult Fantasy genre but I remember really enjoying it when I read way back when, it was such a good book and has some pretty cool characters. Not only that but the magic system could make for some pretty interesting scenes.

BLOOD SONG BY ANTHONY RYAN

Bloodsong has garnered quite a few fans, and it tells the story of Vaelin and the epic journey that leads to his duel to the death. It would be such a grande movie, given the right budget and the right actor to play Vaelin it would be sheer amazingness!

THE SWORD OF KAIGEN BY M. L. WANG

Gosh, I don’t even know what to say for this one. If you have read the book you just know. The magic, the world, the characters and the setting all make for an incredible movie.

RED RISING SAGA BY PIERCE BROWN

This trilogy is just outstanding so to make this into either a TV Show or a movie and my lord what a show it would be!

Let me know on Twitter or in the comments any books you would love to see turned into a movie.

Again thanks for reading and have a smashing week!

7 BOOKS WITH LUSH, POIGNANT AND GENERALLY BRILLIANT WRITING STYLES/PROSE…

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Since I am an utter flop and completely forgot about Sundays Seven yesterday I am going to do it now, hope you don’t mind. Better late than never, right?!

In todays belated Sundays Seven I am going to share with you seven books which I thoroughly enjoyed reading which were written wonderfully. Us notorious book worms have seen and experienced all kinds of writing styles. The good, the bad, the lyrical, the flowery, the dreary and the life changing. I hope, we have all read at least one book that shined a little brighter than the rest, a book so exceptional it rose above all overs and resinated with us on a wholly different level, a book we felt.

I am lucky to be able to tell you of seven of these diamonds!

I recently read an opinion of writing within the fantasy genre that I found to be wholly inaccurate, obviously opinions are subjective and what I consider to be well written or beautiful writing style may not be the case for another but really I just balked at this statement! It was something along the lines of ‘more often than not fantasy has the worst writing styles…’

The above GIF…yeah that was me when I read it! Imma like ‘mmm, say that shit again’. I mean fantasy, in my opinion, is known for it’s master word builders, magnificent swordplay, vivid imagery and brilliantly selected metaphors.

Fantasy has gifted me with novels that I have highlighted first lines, memorised whole paragraphs and reread over and over. I have read sentences so marvellous you feel the need to read them out loud. So I, in good conscience, have to sit here and say the above statement is a load of shit!

Anywho I will get to it, here are seven books with lush, poignant and generally brilliant writing styles/prose.

ASSASSIN’S APPRENTICE BY ROBIN HOBB

“Tides wait for no man, and that I know is true. But time? Did the times I was born into await my birth to be? Did the events rumble into place like the great wooden gears of the clock of Sayntanns, meshing with my conception and pushing my life along?“

“Justice. There’s a thing we shall ever thirst after, and ever be parched.”

“For there is a very strange peace in giving over your judgment to someone else, to saying to them, “You lead and I will follow, and I will trust entirely that you will not lead me to death or harm.”

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | BLACKWELL’S | WATERSTONES

THE NAME OF THE WIND BY PATRICK ROTHFUSS

“It is a word. Words are pale shadows of forgotten names. As names have power, words have power. Words can light fires in the minds of men. Words can wring tears from the hardest hearts. There are seven words that will make a person love you. There are ten words that will break a strong man’s will. But a word is nothing but a painting of a fire. A name is the fire itself.”

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | BLACKWELL’S | WATERSTONES

THE NIGHT CIRCUS BY ERIN MORGENSTERN

“The stillness of the tent becomes a quiet melancholy. Memories begin to creep forward from hidden corners of your mind. Passing disappointments. Lost chances and lost causes. Heartbreaks and pain and desolate, horrible loneliness. Sorrows you thought long forgotten mingle with still-fresh wounds. The stone feels heavier in your hand. When you drop it in the pool to join the rest of the stones, you feel lighter. As though you have released something more than a smooth polished piece of rock.” 

“I would have written you, myself, if I could put down in words everything I want to say to you. A sea of ink would not be enough.’

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | WHSMITH | WATERSTONES | BLACKWELL’S

THE FAITHFUL AND THE FALLEN BOOKS BY JOHN GWYNNE

“I shall stay and tell my tale, hope that it may serve some purpose, that eyes shall see it and learn, that the future will not repeat the mistakes of the past. That is my prayer, but what use is prayer to a god that has abandoned all things . . .”

“Both the brave man and the coward feel the same. The only difference between them is that the brave man faces his fear, does not run.” 

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | BLACKWELL’S | WATERSTONES

RED RISING BY PIERCE BROWN

“She will not come back, but her beauty, her voice, will echo until the end of time. She believed in something beyond herself, and her death gave her voice power it didn’t have in life. She was pure, like your father. We, you and I – he touches my chest with the back f his index finger – are dirty. we are made for blood. Rough hands. Dirty hearts.”

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | BLACKWELL’S | WATERSTONES

PROMISE OF BLOOD BY BRIAN MCCLELLAN

“You’ve one mark on your record,” Tamas said. “You once punched a na‑baron in the face. Broke his jaw. Tell me about that.”

Olem grimaced. “Officially, sir, I was pushing him out of the way of a runaway carriage. Saved his life. Half my company saw it.”

“With your fist?”

“Aye.”

“And unofficially?”

“The man was a git. He shot my dog because it startled his horse.”

“And if I ever have cause to shoot your dog?” “I’ll punch you in the face.”

“Fair enough. You have the job.”

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | BLACKWELL’S | WATERSTONES

THE LIES OF LOCKE LAMORA BY SCOTT LYNCH

“Someday, Locke Lamora,” he said, “someday, you’re going to fuck up so magnificently, so ambitiously, so overwhelmingly that the sky will light up and the moons will spin and the gods themselves will shit comets with glee. And I just hope I’m still around to see it.”
“Oh please,” said Locke. “It’ll never happen.” 

“If reassurances could dull pain, nobody would ever go to the trouble of pressing grapes.” 

ADD IT TO YOUR GOODREADS

AVAILABLE FROM: | WHSMITH | AMAZON UK | AMAZON USA | BLACKWELL’S | WATERSTONES

Honourable Mentions:

I have gone with authors here instead of books but meh, it still counts!

  • George R. R. Martin
  • Mark Lawrence
  • Tolkien
  • Niel Gaiman

There you have it folks! Thank you for reading, feel free to comment on here or twitter with books you loved for their writing styles! Have a good week all and I shall see you next Sunday if not before!