Review | Bellman & Black by Diane Setterfield

Bellman & Black

by Diane Setterfield

My Rating: 

As a boy, William Bellman commits one small, cruel act: killing a bird with his slingshot. Little does he know the unforeseen and terrible consequences of the deed, which is soon forgotten amidst the riot of boyhood games. By the time he is grown, with a wife and children of his own, William seems to be a man blessed by fortune—until tragedy strikes and the stranger in black comes. Then he starts to wonder if all his happiness is about to be eclipsed. Desperate to save the one precious thing he has left, William enters into a rather strange bargain, with an even stranger partner, to found a decidedly macabre business.

And Bellman & Black is born.

This is a tough book to review.

I love historical fiction. If someone held a gun to my head and told me to pick a favourite genre then that would be it, and when I stumbled across Bellman & Black a couple of months ago I knew I had to get my hands on a copy.

If you're a fan of fast-paced, action-packed, nail-biting, terrifying stories, then this book isn't for you. I don't mind a slow read; in fact some of my favourite books are slow reads and I love how beautifully they unfold and how they tease you with their hidden knowledge. This book is definitely a slow read, though it didn't take me all that long to read it and I don't think anyone who is a fan of slow reads will find it taking up too much of their time, either.

If you're a fan of Victorian Gothic, then I think you will enjoy this book. Ultimately this book is a family saga, revolving around William Bellman, that is hiding a very subtle ghost story. Although whether or not it's really a ghost story is certainly up for debate. Once you claim something is a ghost story then I think most readers expect something like The Haunting of Hill House or The Woman in Black , but this story isn't like either of those.

The biggest problem with the novel is its lack of explanation. For the most part I quite liked that about it, but I would have liked some more clarity in certain areas of the plot. That being said, the entire novel was written in the most gorgeous style so it was still a joy to read.

Basically if you're looking for a story that's going to go 'boo!' then this isn't the story for you, but if you like the kind of stories that leave you feeling uneasy for reasons that you can't identify I'd recommend giving Bellman & Black a try!

What's Up Wednesday! | 19/11/14

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk as a way for writers and readers to stay in touch!

What I'm Reading

Since last week I've finished Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams, which I really enjoyed, The Giver, which sadly I didn't like all that much, and If I Stay, which I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. One of the main reasons I wanted to read Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop is because I saw its sequel, Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop, in my local library and thought it would make a great read for December. Then I found a copy of it for just £3.85, so I picked it up and they both look adorable together!

Right now I'm reading The Little Women Letters by Gabrielle Donnelly. I seem to be on something of a contemporary kick this month, which is unusual for me.

What I'm Writing

NaNo has fallen through for me, which honestly I'm not as bothered about as I thought I would be. Am I disappointed? Sure. But I think what all these attempts are teaching me is that NaNo just isn't for me. Does that mean I'll never try to do it again? Of course not; one of these days I'll be a NaNo winner, even if it doesn't happen until I'm 80!

Rather than writing I've found myself doing a lot of planning and idea jotting this month. This month I've had three SNIs, and I've been getting back into short stories. I have a lot of unfinished short stories lying around! Right now I'm working on finishing two short stories, and I've been making notes on one of my new SNIs which, unusually for me, is part Sci-Fi and part Contemporary Romance.

What Works For Me

Talking to myself. I know, I sound crazy, but if I had a £1 every time I heard someone say 'I find it difficult to tell if my dialogue is natural' I'd be a very wealthy lady. Dialogue can be tricky; it can be really easy to make it sound way too stilted or melodramatic, but I find that talking to myself really helps. If I have the conversation that I want to write with myself then I can hear how it sounds, and if it doesn't sound natural I know it needs some tweaking!

What Else Is New

Christmas is on its way! I signed up for The Broke and the Bookish's Secret Santa this year and at the weekend I received all the details for my giftee, so I've been deciding what I'm going to send them - hopefully the things I'm picking out they'll like! - and I've also decided to write my giftee a letter, because I can't remember the last time I wrote someone a letter by hand.

I also wrote out my Christmas cards at the weekend and then decided to decorate them with Christmas tape. Honestly I'm so excited for Christmas, and I love making cards and gifts look pretty!

What's new with you?

Top Ten Tuesday | Sequels I Want to Read

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created at The Broke and the Bookish. Each week you compile a list of ten books which coincide with that week's theme. You can find everything you need to know about joining in here!

This week's theme is 'Top Ten Sequels I Can't Wait To Get'. This year I've been reading more standalones than series, and although I love a good series I can be pretty picky about them; I'll read some of the first book, and if I don't like it then I won't make myself read the rest of the series. There are a few books on this list I really can't wait to get my hands on - particularly the books by Robin LaFevers, C. J. Sansom and Marissa Meyer - but there definitely aren't ten series I can't wait to get the next installment of. As I said, I'm pretty picky with my series.

So instead, here are ten sequels I'd definitely like to read at some point!

Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers: The third and final installment in the His Fair Assassin trilogy, one of those trilogies I didn't expect to like as much as I do. I read Grave Mercy and Dark Triumph back to back in the spring, and I've been looking forward to the release of Mortal Heart since then. I can't wait to see how this story ends, and to see poor Annith finally get a chance to speak!

Lamentation by C.J. Sansom: I've mentioned the Shardlake series countless times on my blog. I love historical fiction - did I not mention that? - and historical crime is so much fun, and when it comes to historical crime the Shardlake series is the series I love the most. I've been looking forward to the release of Lamentation since I finished Heartstone around this time last year, and it's one of my most anticipated releases of 2015. It actually recently came out, but all of my Shardlake books are in paperback and it's currently only available in hardback; I like my series to match and look pretty on my shelves!

Winter by Marissa Meyer: Probably my most anticipated read of 2015. The Lunar Chronicles has quickly become one of my all time favourite series, up there with Harry Potter, and after reading Cress this February I can't wait to see what's going to happen next and how this series is going to end. I love fairy tale retellings, and Meyer's series is just so original and imaginative, and I also have it to thank for my newfound interest in science fiction. I can't wait!

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion: I read The Rosie Project at the start of this year, and while I didn't love it as much as a lot of other people seemed to I did enjoy it, and I'd like to read the sequel purely because I have a weakness for contemporary reads about people having babies. I just hope Simsion hasn't jumped on the popularity of The Rosie Project and written a poor sequel.

Clariel by Garth Nix: The Old Kingdom is one of my favourite series; I read Sabriel, Lirael and Abhorsen during my teens and adored them, and I've been waiting for the release of Clariel for years. Like Lamentation, I'm waiting until I come across a paperback edition that matches my other Old Kingdom books.

Fairest by Marissa Meyer: Technically this is a prequel rather than a sequel, but it still counts right? I was gutted when I heard Winter's release had been postponed to November 2015, but the upcoming release of Fairest certainly makes up for it; I'm really looking forward to reading Levana's story, because that bitch is crazy.

Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop by Jenny Colgan: I actually recently picked up a copy of this when I found it for just £3.85. This book is the sequel to Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams which I read only recently and really enjoyed; I'm planning on reading this next month for some shameless Christmas reading!

The Mirk and Midnight Hour by Jane Nickerson: While The Mirk and Midnight Hour is the second book in a trilogy, it's not the kind of trilogy that carries on from the previous book. Each of the books in this trilogy are completely different stories with completely different characters, but they're linked by the fact that all three of them are fairy/folk tale retellings set in 18th/19th century America. What I love about this series is not only the setting - again, I'm all over historical fiction - but also that Nickerson has chosen to retell fairy/folk tales which aren't as well known. The first book, Strands of Bronze and Gold, was a retelling of the Bluebeard story, and The Mirk and Midnight Hour is a retelling of Tam Lin. I'd really like to get my hands on a copy soon!

Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman: American Gods was the first book I read this year and I absolutely loved it. Anansi Boys isn't quite a sequel, but it's set in the same world as American Gods and appears to feature some of the same characters. Until Gaiman writes an actual sequel to American Gods, which he's talked about before, I'll have to make do with Anansi Boys!

American Vampire: Volume 2 by Scott Snyder and Rafael Albuquerque: I only read Volume 1 of American Vampire last month and I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I'm oddly attracted to Skinner Sweet and I loved Pearl, too, so I'd love to see what the two of them get up to next.

Which books made your list?

Liebster Award

I was nominated by the lovely Mallory for the Liebster Award!

So, I answer 11 questions from the blogger who nominated me, state 11 facts about myself and then list 11 questions for the bloggers I nominate! Cool? Cool.

Mallory's Questions

1. What is the saddest book you have ever read?

I've read quite a lot of sad books, Of Mice and Men being one of the first to jump out at me, and while books like The Book Thief and Feed have made me cry I think I have to go with the very first book to make cry: Noughts & Crosses.

2. Do you write in your books while you read them?

While I was at university I scribbled in the books I had to read for my course. When it came to writing essays I found it a lot easier to remember which quotes worked in my favour if I underlined them and wrote my thoughts next to entire passages. I wish I was the kind of person who treated every book like a Wreck This Journal, but I'm not. I love people who make their books their own and write all over them and personalise them. I don't mind my books getting a little battered and lived in; I like it when books look as though they've been read, but I don't like to write in them.

3. What literary character are you thinking about naming your future children after?

Well if I ever have children and I wind up having a daughter, I'm determined to call her Alice. Not only because I think it's a lovely name, but also because I really love Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

4. What book are you really excited to start?

I'm really looking forward to reading Burial Rites by Hannah Kent, and as Christmas draws nearer I'm really in the mood for some fun, romance reads, so I'm also excited to borrow Milly Johnson's A Winter Flame from my local library.

5. What's your favourite hot beverage?

Mint hot chocolate. I love mint hot chocolate.

6. What's one of your favourite book to movie (or tv show or mini series) adaptations?

Ooh, this is a really good question. Honestly the first film that popped into my head was Catching Fire; I honestly think it's one of the best book to film adaptations I've ever seen, which is great for me because Catching Fire is my favourite book in the trilogy!

7. What TV show are you loving right now?

I need a new show to watch because the three main ones that I watch aren't coming back until next year. Game of Thrones is an obvious one - even though it really needs to sort out the way it portrays any character that isn't a straight white man - but two of my favourite shows that need some more love are Hannibal and Orphan Black. They're both amazing.

8. What celebrity would you want to play you in a movie about your life?

Natalie Dormer. She's literally nothing like me in any way, shape or form but I adore her.

9. Approximately how many unread books do you think you own?

Somewhere around 150. Probably more. I know, I have a problem.

10. What are some of your favourite poems/poets?

I need to read more poetry, because I just don't read enough of it. I love Lamia by John Keats, The Narrow Way by Anne Brontë and The Jabberwocky by Lewis Carroll. There's also an entire poetry collection I read earlier this year that I absolutely adored called The Undressed, by Welsh poet Jemma L. King. I don't read an awful lot of poetry, but that collection is definitely one of the best books I've read this year.

11. What is your favourite board or card game?

Not gonna lie, I love a bit of Trivial Pursuit. While I was studying for my MA one of my friends worked at one of the campus bars, and on the nights when there was basically no one in the bar but us around five of us would play a game of Trivial Pursuit. I have very fond memories of those nights.

Eleven Facts About Me

1. My full name, Jessicca, looks like a typo. Thanks Dad.
2. I'm still not over Sirius Black.
3. I've broken four bones, but I've never dislocated anything.
4. I've been scared of clowns ever since one yelled at me when I was around 5 or 6.
5. Christmas is my absolute favourite time of year and it's stressing me out that I haven't been able to start my Christmas shopping yet.
6. I've recently come to the realisation that I probably have some form of social anxiety, but if I ever told anyone that I don't think they'd believe me because I'm not that shy.
7. I love unicorns. I know a lot of dragon people, but I've always been a unicorn girl.
8. I'd really like to go to Florence and visit all the museums and art galleries there.
9. I'm rubbish at other languages. I wish I was fluent in more than one, but I just can't grasp them and I really admire people who can.
10. Guinea pigs, pugs, unicorns and quokkas are some of my favourite animals in the entire world.
11. The only film I've ever found Ewan McGregor attractive in is Angels and Demons. Not really sure what that says about me...

My Questions

1. You're hosting a dinner party and you're allowed to invite three guests. One guest must be an author (dead or alive), another must be a King/Queen/Pharoah/Emperor/You get the idea (dead or alive, from any country) and the third and final guest must be a deity (from any religion/mythos). Who do you invite and why?

2. If you could time travel, where would you go?

3. Which Hogwarts House do you think you'd be in?

4. How long would you last in the Hunger Games?

5. Where would you like to go on your next holiday?

6. Would you rather be able to speak every language in the world or be able to play every musical instrument ever invented?

7. Would you ever get a tattoo? If so, what would you get? And if you already have one/several, what is it/are they?

8. Do you read non-fiction?

9. Which book would you recommend to somone who hasn't read in a year?

10. Your favourite Christmas film? If you don't like any or you don't celebrate Christmas, is there a particular film you enjoy watching at this time of year?

11. If you watch anime, do you prefer it dubbed or subbed? If you don't watch anime, what was your favourite childhood show?

I nominate:

Laura

Emma

Cole

Chrissi

Carrie-Anne

(Apologies if you've already been nominated!)

Thanks again to Mallory for tagging me! :)

Jess Suggests | Sci-Fi Retellings! | Sci-Fi Month 2014

I have a science fiction retelling (the first one on this list!) to thank for my first extremely positive experience with science fiction. As I've already mentioned this month science fiction was a genre I felt so intimidated by until I read Cinder, which really made me see the genre in a different light. 

So, in honour of the book that helped me overcome my fear of sci-fi, today I'm recommending four books which are all retellings, and all science fiction!

Cinder

by Marissa Meyer

Retelling of: Cinderella

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. 

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Warm Bodies

by Isaac Marion

Retelling of: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

'R' is a zombie. He has no name, no memories and no pulse, but he has dreams. He is a little different from his fellow Dead.

Amongst the ruins of an abandoned city, R meets a girl. Her name is Julie and she is the opposite of everything he knows - warm and bright and very much alive, she is a blast of colour in a dreary grey landscape. For reasons he can't understand, R chooses to save Julie instead of eating her, and a tense yet strangely tender relationship begins.

This has never happened before. It breaks the rules and defies logic, but R is no longer content with life in the grave. He wants to breathe again, he wants to live, and Julie wants to help him. But their grim, rotting world won't be changed without a fight...

For Darkness Shows the Stars

by Diana Peterfreund

Retelling of: Persuasion by Jane Austen

It's been several generations since a genetic experiment gone wrong caused the Reduction, decimating humanity and giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Elliot North has always known her place in this world. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family's estate over love. Since then the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress, and Elliot's estate is foundering, forcing her to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth--an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliot wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she let him go.

But Elliot soon discovers her old friend carries a secret--one that could change their society . . . or bring it to its knees. And again, she's faced with a choice: cling to what she's been raised to believe, or cast her lot with the only boy she's ever loved, even if she's lost him forever.

Of Beast and Beauty

by Stacey Jay

Retelling of: Beauty and the Beast

In the domed city of Yuan, the blind Princess Isra, a Smooth Skin, is raised to be a human sacrifice whose death will ensure her city’s vitality. In the desert outside Yuan, Gem, a mutant beast, fights to save his people, the Monstrous, from starvation. Neither dreams that together, they could return balance to both their worlds.

Isra wants to help the city’s Banished people, second-class citizens despised for possessing Monstrous traits. But after she enlists the aid of her prisoner, Gem, who has been captured while trying to steal Yuan’s enchanted roses, she begins to care for him, and to question everything she has been brought up to believe.

As secrets are revealed and Isra’s sight, which vanished during her childhood, returned, Isra will have to choose between duty to her people and the beast she has come to love.

Have you read any of these retellings? Are there any other retellings you'd recommend?

My Favourite Sci-Fi Heroines | Sci-Fi Month 2014

Sci-Fi Month continues! Today I'm going to be talking about my personal Top 5 Science Fiction Heroines. I love me some female protagonists, in fact if I pick up a book while I'm out shopping and I don't find the slightest sniff of a female character in the blurb I will not buy that book. I've got nothing against male protagonists, but I'm 23 and I'm tired of sausage fests.

Linh Cinder from The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer: I love The Lunar Chronicles. Since reading Cinder I've become a lot more confident in reading sci-fi, and Cinder has become one of my favourite heroines. After spending so many years convincing myself that I wouldn't be welcome in the science fiction fanbase, it always seemed so male-orientated when I was younger, it's been a real joy to stumble across a series like The Lunar Chronicles, which has not one, but four heroines. There's a heroine for everyone in this series, which I love, but Cinder is most definitely my personal favourite.

Cosima Niehaus from Orphan Black: Another story with a heroine for everyone. I started watching Orphan Black earlier this year and I love it! Tatiana Maslany is the most amazing actress and I love all of the clones, but there's just something about Cosima which always makes her the first clone I think of when I think about the show. She's adorable; I love her passion for science and I really wish my hair looked like hers.

Georgia Mason from the Newsflesh trilogy by Mira Grant: For those of you who have been following my blog for a while this should come as no surprise. I adore the Newsflesh trilogy, and after reading Feed earlier this year Georgia quickly became one of my favourite heroines of all time. Who knew anyone could love a journalist so much!

Sarah Connor from the Terminator series: I grew up watching the Terminator films with my Dad, and no matter how many times I watch it I never get tired of Terminator 2. What I love about Sarah is that she's actually incredibly flawed, and yet she's still an incredibly competent, resilient, tough lady. For an action heroine of the early 90s she's awesome; she isn't put into a box as a hardcore, emotionless bitch, but she's also far from typically feminine. I have a lot of time for Sarah Connor, and I was very disappointed when she didn't make an appearance in Terminator 3!

Inara Serra from Firefly: Ah, the show that was cancelled before its time. Like Orphan Black, this is another show with a cast of characters who are difficult to compare because all of them are likable and dislikable for completely separate reasons. I love the women in Firefly; Kaylee is adorable, Zoe's fantastic and River's a sweetie (albeit an annoying one). Any one of them could have made my list, but what I love about Inara is the way she challenges the stereotypes we have surrounding sexuality and getting paid for one's 'services'. Plus she always wears the prettiest dresses.

Are there any heroines of sci-fi that you love?

What's Up Wednesday! | 12/11/14

What's Up Wednesday is a weekly blog hop created by Jaime Morrow and Erin L. Funk as a way for writers and readers to stay in touch!

What I'm Reading

At the weekend I started reading my very first Jenny Colgan book, Welcome to Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop of Dreams. I don't tend to read a lot of contemporary, but every now and then I'm in the mood for something light and fluffy where the world doesn't hang in the balance, and this book is just lovely. It's already made me smile and made me heartwrenchingly sad, and I'm glad I'm enjoying it because one of the main reasons I picked it up is so I could borrow the sequel from the library, Christmas at Rosie Hopkins' Sweet Shop, this Christmas.

What I'm Writing

I'm not gonna lie, I'm in a bit of a writing funk right now. I'm still writing, but I'm jotting down ideas rather than actually working on a project; I shouldn't complain too much, of course, because I've recently thought of a handful of new ideas, I just can't decide which one I want to work on and I'm hesitant to try to work on more than one at once as, in my experience, that leads me into a hot mess. Hopefully I'll be working on one project soon!

What Works For Me

Having time off. People say write every day, and I couldn't agree more. I do write every day, even if it's not necessarily writing that contributes to a longer project, but sometimes, like right now, I need to let myself just be in a writing funk. When you can't get into a new project I think one of the worst things you can do is make yourself feel guilty about it. Take a little time off; explore new places, read new books and watch new films/tv shows to gather inspiration, and return to your work refreshed.

What Else Is New

On Saturday my brother-in-law and I went to Cardiff Comic Con, and I met two of my friends there who I haven't seen in months which was really lovely. I got myself some goodies, including a snitch necklace, a Sirius Black poster, a skeleton hand hairclip, a pretty ring and some unicorn incense. I was a little disappointed, however, as Jason Momoa was supposed to be there and then he cancelled, but I still enjoyed the day. Once we'd been around all the stalls there we went around some of the shops in Cardiff, one of my favourite places to go shopping, and I finally picked up a copy of The Raven Boys. It's time for me to see what everyone loves so much about this series!

As I'm sure you all know Sunday was Remembrance Sunday, so for any of you interested I made a quick blog post with some recommendations for books set during WW1 and WW2 which you can find here.

And something I've been completely managing to forget to mention for the past few weeks is that I commissioned Ari, a lovely artist on tumblr, to draw one of my protagonists from Bloodroot and Bracken. So this is Thora!

What's new with you?