The Wee Writing Lassie’s Many Marvellous Reads – Book One: The Playlist

Well, we’ve come to the end at last Wee Readers, and for those of you who have been following my blog for any length of time know what that means it’s time for the playlist.

Reading ‘A Game of Thrones’

This has been fun. I’ll see you next time.

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The Wee Writing Lassie’s Many Marvellous Reads – Book One: The Conclusion

Characters

As I said my characters post there wasn’t a single character that I found overly grating or hate worthy. And that was surprising considering some of their show counterparts. Yes, Sansa, I’m looking at you. The thing is I’m an adult now so I like to think I have more patience with characters behaving dumbly – at least when they’re eleven like book Sansa was in this story – than I did when I first watched the show. Also I’m far more forgiving of Sansa’s foibles and sins here, though God knows she has so much more of them, because at least here they make for an interesting story.

As for the others … yeah …. didn’t actually hate a single one even the ones I was meant to hate. They were all so well written and believable it felt like following the lives of real people who just so happened to live in a slightly fantastical world.

Plot

Also excellent. Despite the fact that I knew how the story would end I couldn’t help following Ned’s tale hoping that for once it might have a different outcome. It didn’t of course you can’t change something that’s been down in ink since 1995. The book is a slow trod to the envetable death of this good man because of course Ned Stark was going to die. There was no other outcome once he agreed to ride south, once he agreed to step foot in King’s Landing, once he agreed to pin that royal badge to his chest. For the Game of Thrones is not a game for good, or even marginally decent, men to play. It is the Game of Bastards. Sometimes quite literally. For only an evil man can truly call the act of ruling others a game and mean it enough to win.

Oh and there’s some ice zombie and dragon nonsense going on in the background but it’s Ned’s story that’s the actually plot here. At least as far as the first book is concerned.

Over all Impression

A fascinating look into the death of a man who should have been left alone to raise his family in peace. I’m not crying, you’re crying.

Would I read again?

Hell yes.

Recommended Adaptation

Come on people … there’s only one out there.

Recommended Further Reading

Well, it’s got a sequel. Check out A Clash of Kings today.

Join me next week for … The Playlist.

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – The Spotify Playlist

Well, I did it Wee Readers, part of me didn’t think I could but I did. 300 books in a year. Man that was exhausting and a bit of a race to finish by the end. Fun fact, a few months back I switched day jobs – I’m no longer a housekeeper and am working at a fish factory, which is a lot less disgusting than I thought it would be ( but then so long as I don’t have to clean toilets I’m good as gold) – which meant my work hours changed drastically. Namely I got a lot more of them. Which while undoubtedly a positive thing as it means I’m earning a lot more money, and therefore have more to spend on fun things like books, it also meant I didn’t have as much free time to do things like read said books.

But somehow through a lot of early mornings and late nights the book reading gods were on my side and I managed it.

300 books in a year.

Now, you might be wandering , Wee Reader, what’s next for the Wee Writing Lassie.

Well, first things first, we have a Spotify Playlist for my 300 Book Challenge.

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year

Yes, that’s 301 songs for each post of the series – baring this one of course – each thoughtfully chosen to reflect the book it matches.

As for what comes after well … while I won’t be recording another Goodreads Challenge on the Wee Blog (at least not this year) the 300 Book Challenge has made me realise how much I enjoy sharing what I’m reading here. So, I’ve decided to start another blog series of book reviews. I’m still workshopping the title but I’m thinking something on the lines of the Wee Writing Lassie’s Bookshelf or something of a similar ilk, again still workshopping. This will not be any kind of Book Challenge as I’m throughly looking forward to slowing down and really taking the time to enjoy the books I read without worrying if my book count is falling for the foreseeable future. In fact, I hope this more slow and thoughtful approach to reading will be reflected in the reviews themselves as I intend to make them much more detailed. Covering topics such as favourite characters, themes, and scenes, amongst other topics

Because there will be no book count it means I can tackle some of the longer books in my library that I’d been putting off less they cause me to fall behind in my 300 book challenge. In fact the first review will be such a book.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 300

The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories by Isaac Asimov

Goodreads Blurb: Andrew was one of Earth’s first house robot domestic servants—smoothly designed and functional. But when Andrew started to develop special talents which exceeded the confines of his allotted positronic pathways, he abandoned his domestic duties in favour of more intellectual pursuits. As time passed, Andrew acquired knowledge, feelings and ambitions way beyond anything ever experienced by any other mechanical men. And he found himself launched on to a career which would bring him fame fortune — and danger. For a robot who wants to be human must also be prepared to die…

In the Bicentennial Man, Isaac Asimov returns to his first and most enduring love — robotics. The result is a brilliant book of first-class entertainment and mind-spinning ideas which confirm Asimov’s supreme status as Grand Master of science fiction.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: Of course the Bicentennial Man is the best story in this collection, better even than the film I’d say, but they’ve all got a sort of haunting magnetism that just makes you want to read on and never stop. Honestly, I’m kind of disappointed it’s over now 😢

Amazon Associates: The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories by Isaac Asimov

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 299

The Smart Girl’s Guide to Revenge by Jessica May Harper

Goodreads Blurb: ‘till death do us part.

She meant every word.

He didn’t mean one.

Now she’s coming for revenge.

Fresh out of prison, after taking the fall for their insurance fraud scheme, Jessica has only one thing on her mind.

As she masterminds her elaborate plan for justice, Jessica must come face to face with the ghosts of her past.

But while some people are beyond redemption, there is only one person who can satisfy her revenge.

Narrated by Kaya Scodelario, star of The Gentleman and Skins, Audible proudly presents a lethal tale of betrayal and con-artistry where the house doesn’t always win.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: A fun read, full of all the twists and turns you might expect from such a title.

Amazon Associates: The Smart Girl’s Guide to Revenge by Jessica May Harper

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 298

The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

Goodreads Blurb: “You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here?

I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: I’m a pretty good judge of these things, said one of the worst judges of character in all literature. Wow, another excellent read from McFadden but fair warning this book covers topics that some readers will find distressing to the extreme.

Amazon Associates: The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 297

Still by Nia Forrester

Goodreads Blurb: In her life, there have only been three lovers. But Leslie doesn’t lament the meager number, she only truly mourns the second one. In her youthful arrogance, she turned him away, thinking there would be many more chances. Now, she lives two lives—one in the present, and another plagued by bittersweet memories of the past.

But maybe, even now, it might be possible to reconcile the two.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: Such a depressing story with what a sweet end.

Amazon Associates: Still by Nia Forrester

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 296

The Housemaid’s Wedding by Freida McFadden

Goodreads Blurb: Today is supposed to be the happiest day of my life.

I’m engaged to the man of my dreams, and in a few short hours, I’m going to stand before a judge, who will declare us husband and wife, till death does us part. Despite some bumps in the road, this day is everything I dreamed it would be.

There’s only one problem:

Someone out there doesn’t want me to live long enough to say my vows.

And if I’m not careful, they may very well get their wish.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: There is literally no problem that Enzo cannot fix.

Amazon Associates: The Housemaid’s Wedding by Freida McFadden

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 295

The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden

Goodreads Blurb: It’s hard to find an employer who doesn’t ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It’s almost perfect. But I still haven’t met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I’m sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I’m doing laundry. And one day I can’t help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything…

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: I think I’m getting a handle in this series now – it’s always the twists that make the book. And this one had a whopper. Not quite as juicy as the last one maybe but decent.

Amazon Associates: The Housemaid’s Secret by Freida McFadden

The Wee Writing Lassie’s 300 Books in a Year – Book 294

Starchild by Camille Acker

Goodreads Blurb: In this evocative short piece, Candace worries that her mother, Annie, has reached an emotional breaking point. When her best friend loses her battle with cancer, Annie is acting in uncharacteristic ways, seemingly less concerned than ever about what her friends and neighbors think of her—a troubling development in her daughter’s eyes. But while Candace may think she knows her mother better than anyone, something deeper lingers beneath the surface, and times of hardship have a way of bringing us closer together than ever.

(Goodreads Page)

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Goodreads Review: This story was an experience, a fascinating step into the mind of two women dealing with loss and the change it brings. It didn’t actually seem to have a plot but as it was more of a character study I think that would have just bogged the whole thing down.

Amazon Associates: Starchild by Camille Acker